Prophecies In Her Eyes
by Zenura Ravenscar
Summary: Anything can happen on a hellmouth, especially when someone new arrives. (Angel/Original Character, Willow/Spike)
1. Night to Dream

"Fang and talon, devil and daemon  
Summoned near by witch's power  
Shall meet under full moon's light.  
  
Destiny's accursed children  
Fallen Angel, Feline Woman  
Hate and distrust shall abound.  
  
Love's unlikely flower will bloom  
While in the darkness the green eyed  
monster doth loom.  
  
The two shall become as one  
And the hate which beget love  
will again beget hate.  
Be warned! The choosing is at hand.  
  
If choice be wrong  
Light's hope grows dim  
Pain and suffering shall reign again.  
  
The chosen two will be wrent asunder  
and darkness shall devour the light.  
Wrong must be made right.  
  
Hope doth rest in angel's tear  
and the lost shall rise as the phoenix  
True love will chain the beasts within  
And the cursed shall become the gifted."  
Prologue  
  
Night to Dream  
  
Darkness surrounded him. Even with his eyes wide open, he couldn't see. Yet he knew he wasn't alone...he was never alone. Always his demon was there, watching him, taunting him, torturing him. If he wasn't being tortured physically, he was being tormented emotionally as images of all his atrocities played themselves out in his mind like a grisly horror movie. He barely had time to recover from one onslaught before the whole cycle began anew.  
  
Angel struggled at his bonds as the demon chuckled behind him, trailing an icy claw down his back. He stiffened involuntarily in an attempt to brace himself against what he knew was coming. It never helped.  
  
He stared into the nothingness of his own personal hell as individual faces swam before his eyes; images of the people who he had killed over his many years as Angelus. Tears fell down his raw face, bloody tears of pain and guilt as he watched each and every death perpetrated by his own hands. The pain grew in intensity as the faces became more recent, more familiar, and more achingly beloved to him.  
  
He broke down, as he always did, as he watched himself harass the Scoobies, tormenting Buffy and threatening to kill Willow. As always, he lost his last shreds of control when he saw Buffy standing in front of him, tears in her eyes as she desolately told him to close his eyes. He screamed as he felt the sword go through his stomach...  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Whimpering in her sleep, Willow tossed and turned, trying to escape the nightmares that plagued her. They were always the same; images of Angel, trapped in hell and tortured by his demon. She watched, helplessly, as Angel's demon stripped the flesh off his back, forcing Angel to scream in agony. She cried bitter tears of frustration as she watched Angel struggle to tear himself away from the images the demon showed him; images of the people Angelus had tortured and killed. She knew that Angel himself wasn't at fault, that the demon itself was really responsible. She knew as well that Angel would never see it that way, and that he blamed himself for all those deaths.  
  
The images of Angel would fade away, and new ones would take its place. The images were less clear, more confusing as they assaulted her senses. She saw Angel, or at least she thought it was Angel, battling some creature in the cemetery. His eyes flashed yellow, while the other creatures glowed as red as blood. Both attacked with an intense fierceness, neither one showing signs of stopping. Blood...there was blood everywhere, but neither one wanted to stop. They just kept fighting, kept ripping each other to pieces.  
  
Willow saw them break apart suddenly, each watching the other warily as they fought for breath. As the two enemies circled, the moonlight fell upon Angel's opponent, and Willow got a glimpse of its features. It was a young woman, about her age...no...now it was a large black cat, a panther that snarled and prepared to launch itself at Angel.  
  
A nearby bush moved, and Willow saw the creature turn away from Angel to face this newest threat. Her eyes widened as she saw Buffy, a crossbow in hand, take cold and deadly aim at the creature. The creature leaped...the crossbow twanged...the creature was falling...falling...turning back into the young woman Willow had first seen. It was then that Willow screamed.  
  
"NOOOOOOO..."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
"...NOOOOOOO!!!" A young woman screamed, jolting herself out of her nightmares and bolting upright in her bed. Her heart beat frantically in her chest as she gasped for breath, shaking from the violent images that swam in her mind. Shivering, she fought to regain control of herself, grasping the bed sheet tightly against her nude body. It was several moments before she was able to take a deep breath, before she was able to open her eyes and peer at her surroundings.  
  
It was dark in the room, but the soft glow of the waxing moon outside cast enough illumination for her to see how empty the motel room was. The only pieces of furniture in the room were an old armchair, a serviceable dresser, and a rather lumpy bed. Her large, overstuffed duffel bag lay in a corner of the room, left packed because she wasn't staying at the motel long enough for it to matter. This was only a place to sleep for the night...she had planned to move on in the morning.  
  
Feeling a little more in control, she forced herself to move, standing up on shaky legs and stepping away from the bed. Leaning against the wall for support, she made her way to the bathroom. The overhead light burned her eyes for a moment and she stopped, blinking rapidly before continuing on her way to the bathroom counter. After splashing water on her face, she leaned against the counter, staring grimly at her own reflection.  
  
Deep brown hair hung down her shoulders in waves, damp from sweat and sticking to her body. Her skin was pale, no doubt from the nightmare she just awoken from, and it stretched tautly across her ribs due to her lack of anything substantial for food in the past week or so. Her intense hazel eyes were a little bloodshot as she took in the damage to herself from yet another night of intense dreaming.  
  
Slightly pouty lips curled in disgust and she snarled softly to herself, cursing inwardly at her weakness. She'd lived with nightmares for little over four years now, and she had been able to keep her sanity thus far. Never mind that lately those dreams were not memories, but rather they seemed to be things that had not yet happened...  
  
Abruptly she turned away from the mirror, striding out of the bathroom as if to escape the hold her dreams had on her. 'I will not let them get to me', she thought bitterly to herself as she came to stand in front of the window. 'I will not let them destroy my last shred of sanity'. Not caring if someone happened to walk by her room and see that she was naked, she pressed her forehead to the cool surface of the glass and closed her eyes, willing her emotions under control.  
  
"Get it together Kat," she whispered. "They're only dreams." She knew she was lying to herself though; these weren't simply dreams. Something was stirring, something was calling out to her, warning her. If only she knew why...opening her eyes, she flicked a glance to the map that lay on top of her duffel bag. To the area she had circled it with a red pen. To the name of a town...her destination.  
  
Sunnydale. 


	2. Catching a Glimpse

The Bronze was packed early, even for a Friday evening; the sun had not quite set, and already teens were flocking to the club. Willow sat at one of the tables near the stage, head propped up by one hand as she twirled her straw around in her coke with the other. Her emerald eyes stared dazedly into the swirling dark liquid, her brow furrowed in thought. Circles under her eyes marred her otherwise perfectly pale skin.  
  
'It's been over three months, and I'm still having the nightmares,' she brooded to herself, nibbling on her bottom lip. Ever since Angel was sent to Hell and Buffy had run away, Willow had been having dreams. She saw Angel in Hell, shared in his pain and torment as he relived all the evil deeds of Angelus. Sometimes the dream faded into other, less coherent images. Willow barely repressed a shudder at those images. All she could remember from those images was intense pain, loss, and anger. For once she was glad her parents were away on another business trip, because there wasn't a night that went by that Willow didn't wake up with a scream caught in her throat.  
  
A sigh of frustration escaped the redhead's lips. Taking a sip of her coke, she glanced around the room listlessly. Xander, after dragging her here on the pretense of "shaking those inner ghosts through live music and funky dancing," had since abandoned her for the dance floor.leaving the poor redheaded witch alone with her rather dark thoughts.  
  
'It's just as well,' she silently reminded herself. 'I know they are concerned for me, but they would never understand what I'm trying to do.' After the first few nights of plagued sleep, Willow had been looking for a way to bring Angel back from hell. She hoped that, by bringing him back, the nightmares would end. So far, she'd had about as much luck in finding the right spell as she had in finding their missing Slayer.  
  
Willow's eyes darkened in anger as her thoughts turned to the blonde who had run out on them all. She would have given silent vent to her frustrations at Buffy, had not a movement out of the corner of her eye forced Willow out of her dark musings. Glancing to her side, she noticed someone rather unusual standing nearby. A girl about her own age was lounging up against the wall, arms crossed over her chest as she scanned the dance floor. The young woman didn't seem familiar, and after glancing at her watch to confirm sunset was still twenty minutes away, Willow was pretty sure she wasn't a vampire. Still, there was something about her appearance that drew Willow's attention. Her face was delicate, yet possessed of an inner strength. Hair the color of chocolate hung down her shoulders in thick waves, her pouty, darkened lips and hazel eyes giving her an added mystique that had not gone unnoticed by the male patrons of the club. She was dressed from head to toe in black; black boots, black halter-top, black hip hugging pants. Whereas many young women would look brazen in that outfit, she looked as if the clothing was merely part of who she was.  
  
'Who is she?' Willow's mind whirled at quiet strength the girl exuded. 'There's something about her; she looks like some dark goddess come to life.' She watched as the girl pushed off of the wall, her gaze swinging back and forth as she began to stalk forward, looking like some kind of caged animal.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Kat managed not to grit her teeth through sheer force of will as another guy brushed up against her 'accidentally.' 'This was a very bad idea,' she noted wryly as she continued to make her way through the throng in the room, scanning the crowd for signs of vampires. Having arrived a few nights ago, she was aware of Sunnydale's high level of vampiric activity, and she wasn't taking any chances. The sun hadn't set yet, but she had known a few vampires that could get around without waiting for the sun to go down. All they needed were a few underground passageways, and there were always an abundance of those in any town.  
  
Kat prowled back and forth on the edges of the dancing couples, growling softly under her breath. She was tense, like an arrow about to be loosed from a bow. It wasn't just the vampires that bothered her; her nightmares had increased in frequency upon entering Sunnydale. One image kept popping into her head over and over, flashing like a neon warning sign: a full moon glowing dark with blood, nearly obscured by strands of crimson hair.  
  
The hair on the back of her neck stiffened, and Kat became aware of someone watching her intensely. Slowly she turned her head in that direction, and met a pair of curious emerald eyes. A petite young woman sat in one of the benches nearby, twirling a straw absently in her fingers as she watched Kat slow in her pacing. Dressed in a long-sleeved blouse and a long skirt, she seemed to shrink back a little from Kat's gaze, ducking so that her hair fell across her face. Hair nearly as red as the blood from Kat's nightmares.  
  
Kat's eyes widened as she drank in the color of Willow's hair. 'No.her hair. Can it be? Is she the one my dreams told me about? The brunette's heart raced in her chest as she stared at Willow, fear stabbing her like a knife. 'But what does it all mean? Is she dangerous, or in danger herself? She looks too innocent to be evil, but looks can be deceiving.'  
  
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Kat's eyes narrowed in grim determination. Once more, she began to head towards Willow, her lips pursed together in dark musing. Her pupils flashed quickly as her eyes darkened to a deep emerald, a tinge of red that vanished before anyone could blink.  
  
'I don't know what she has to do with my nightmares, but I intend to find out!'  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Willow stiffened slightly as she watched the young woman move in her direction. 'What does she want with me? Who is she? Why does she look almost afraid? Is it, is it because of me!' Thoughts spilled over Willow like a gushing waterfall, making her feel slightly faint. Swallowing, she started to rise from the booth, but the strangers' hazel eyes found hers and a wave of paralysis washed over her. Willow trembled slightly, feeling like a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car and powerless to do anything about it.  
  
Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed the brunette by the arm, forcing her to turn and deal with someone who had worked up enough nerve to hit on her. Eye contact with the dark girl broken, Willow sank back down into the booth with a thud, her overworked nerves nearly shot. Blinking rapidly, Willow tried to take slow, deep breaths to calm herself, her knuckles white as she grasped the edge of the table.  
  
'Calm down Willow. Geesh, you are more tired than you thought if you have started to see danger everywhere! All work and no sleep has made you very, very paranoid.' Still, Willow couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she had. Risking a look in the dark eyed woman's direction, she noted that the stranger was having difficulty getting her would be suitor to leave her alone. A slight smile touched her lips as she noted just who was trying to get the brunettes attention. 'Poor Xander. He isn't having much luck with the ladies tonight.' Relaxing a little as she watched her friend's zany antics, Willow's eyes idly fell on the stranger's back. A slight frown marred her features as she tried to get a better glimpse at the small of the woman's back, where part of a tattoo could be seen.  
  
"Hieroglyphs? Now there is one weird tattoo," Willow murmured to herself, noting the pictorial symbols splayed on the young woman's back. Recalling the Egyptian prophecy books Giles received and had her scan onto her computer this summer, Willow leaned forward, trying to decipher the word printed on the dark woman's back without much luck. Staring at those glyphs, however, Willow's mind thought back to some of the more recent websites she had been browsing in search for spells for rescuing Angel. She had found one that looked promising, a site for prayers to various gods and goddesses.  
  
A light dawned in Willow's eyes, and she sucked in her breath, darting a glance at the girl once more. 'Egyptian glyphs, goddesses, Angel out of hell.' Realization dawned on Willow and she couldn't stop hope from blossoming inside of her as she scrambled to her feet. Making sure that the strange girl was still tied up with Xander, Willow silently thanked the goddess and rushed out the door, feeling refreshed for the first time in days.  
  
'Angel, I'm getting you out of hell. Soon!'  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Kat's head was already throbbing by the time she managed to convince the young man who had hit on her that she was too tired to dance, but she wouldn't mind sitting and sharing sodas with him. Just as soon as she talked to someone first. As he moved off to get their drinks, her eyes roamed back over to the spot where the shy girl was sitting. Or had been sitting at any rate. A low growl rumbled in her throat as she spied the petite redhead barreling out the door of the Bronze. 'Damn!'  
  
She started to head in that direction, but her admirer had returned with drinks and she didn't want to be cruel in breaking her promise. 'The moon won't be full for another week,' she reminded herself as she was lead to, ironically, the same booth the redhead had just vacated. 'I'll just have to find her before then.'  
  
Kat was so caught up in her own musings that she didn't notice Xander glance around the place in confusion, looking for the very same person her thoughts were fixed on. Finally he shrugged and sat down beside Kat, figuring Willow had gone home to get some sleep.  
  
"Sooo.my name's Xander. And you are?" Smiling at the young woman who he had cajoled into sitting with him, he watched as she leaned back into the booth, folding her arms over her chest and regarding him with curiosity.  
  
Kat smiled back tiredly, grinding her teeth softly to take the edge of her headache. 'This is going to be one long night.' "My name is Katura, but most people call me Kat."  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Willow scanned the webpage she had found on Egyptian deities, her eyes traveling over the names and hieroglyphs of the many gods and goddesses contained therein. She leaned forward, propping her head on one hand as she searched for the information she needed. So far she wasn't having much luck; most of the prayers and invocations had nothing to do with what she needed. Name after name flickered in front of Willow as she scrolled down the page even further.  
  
Suddenly she sat up straight, eyes widening as she came across a familiar set of hieroglyphs. 'Those look just like the ones on her back!' Interest piqued, Willow moved her mouse slowly over the name of the goddess. 'Sakhmet.I wonder.' Clicking on the name, Willow felt a sense of trepidation as the page on this lion-headed goddess appeared before her. Her lips moved as she read off the page, murmuring under her breath a few of the phrases. 'Goddess of divine vengeance.also revered as healer.blessing for fallen warriors of justice.Oh Goddess, this is it!' Willow's fear was quickly replaced with elation as she discovered her answer staring back at her from her computer. All she needed were the proper ingredients and she would be able to bring Angel back from Hell! A tear slid down her cheek, unnoticed by the redhead as she stared at the computer screen. Her search was over.  
  
"Oh Angel," she whispered, a smile touching her lips. "Finally.finally I'll be able to bring you back." Turning, Willow glanced outside, her eyes lifting up to gaze upon the light of the waxing moon. One more week and then she would perform the spell. A smile stretched over her lips, turning into a yawn as exhaustion depleted her remaining reserves. Turning her computer off, the redheaded hacker crawled over to her bed. It wasn't until she was snug under the covers that she remembered about the strange new girl and the hieroglyphs.  
  
'Such an odd tattoo,' she thought sleepily, another yawn escaping her lips. Too tired to think on the mysterious tattoo, its connection to the Goddess Sakhmet, and the brunettes' reaction to her, Willow vowed to think on it some more in the morning. Her last thoughts as her eyes closed and she drifted into sweet oblivion were of Angel.  
  
'Soon Angel.soon we will both be free.'  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Somewhere in the back of Angel's mind, he thought he heard Willow's promise to him. An unexplainable peace suffused his body, and he moved his lips, echoing her sentiments. 'Soon.' And the darkness embraced him like an old lover, and for once he felt no pain. 


	3. First Meeting

It was late afternoon the following Monday, and though Sunnydale High School was closed for Labor Day, all was not silent within. From deep within the walls of this institution erupted an explosion of noise, punctuated by a shout and a few choice, and very british, curses. Sprawled out on the floor of the library, Giles stared at the ceiling for a moment, now silently giving voice to the rising ire he was feeling. Pushing some of the books off his body, he attempted to stand, wincing as his back protested the sudden movement. Slowly he straightened, glancing around at the literary carnage wrought by his attempts to unpack the latest shipment from the Watcher's Council…by himself.  
  
"Blast that boy!" the british librarian muttered under his breath, bending down to pick up some of the books that he had upended on himself during his fall. "Where the devil could he be? Stuffing his face no doubt." As he attempted to bring some semblance of order to the chaos around him, Giles muttered under his breath about bloody americans and their bad habits…one particular teenage boy at the forefront of his rant. He bent to pick up another armful of books when his eyes took in a unique volume among the masses. Unlike the other texts, this small, palm sized book appeared to be bound tightly, locked to prevent other eyes from seeing the contents within. Made of black leather, the cover of the book was imprinted with a special seal, one Giles had only seen once in his life; it was the seal the Watcher's Council gave to anything which was considered too dangerous to be seen by all of its members.   
  
His hand shaking slightly, Giles touched the lock on the book cover. It was old and highly rusted, breaking apart at his light touch. Taking a shaky breath, he lifted the cover of the book slowly, moving it closer to his face as he tried to decipher the old, fading ink. "Contained herein the records of the Council of Watchers, formed this day in…" Giles would have read on, his curiosity piqued, had not the sound of someone clearing their throat jarred him back to reality. Turning, he glanced at the entrance to the library and saw a young, dark-haired woman standing there, glancing at him and the chaos behind him with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Um…am I intruding? I know the school is closed, but the front door was open and I thought…"   
  
Giles sighed and carefully placed the ancient text on the desk and turned to fully face the young woman who had entered his, at the moment chaotic, sanctuary. "Oh, it's quite alright I assure you. Please forgive the mess, I was just cataloguing a new shipment for the library. How may I help you?"   
  
"The woman at the public library said you have quite a collection of rare and odd books. I was wondering if you might have what I need." Cautiously she stepped further into the room, casting glances at the floor as if the books might fly up at her.  
  
"Yes, I do have a rather um eclectic collection of volumes, are you searching for a particular text or just books with reference to a certain subject?" Giles asked.  
  
"Egyptian curses," she murmured, raising her gaze meet Giles. Staring at him for a moment, the brunette tilted her head slightly, a small smile touching her pouty lips. "Next time, I think you should let the books win." A tinge of amusement flickered in her eyes, lightening their emerald color to something more like springtime as she took in his disheveled appearance.  
  
Giles' eyes glinted back at the girl in amusement and his lips twisted into a smile that echoed hers. "Yes, well um, I was supposed to have some help with this but it seems my assistant has left me to my own devices, or rather I should say, disasters," he said, turning to take in the books scattered hither and thither around the floor. "Egyptian curses, you said? Yes I do believe I have a few volumes dealing with such things. Now where did Willow put them?"  
  
Kat watched the british librarian attempt to find a few books out of the many scattered across the table and floor in the middle of the library, all the while trying to tame his appearance back to civility. Biting her cheek to keep from laughing, she moved closer, gesturing to the mess. "Care for some help, Mr…"  
  
Giles straightened up from the pile of books he was bent over, "Oh, I do apologize for my rudeness; my name is Rupert Giles, though the children usually call me Giles. I would greatly appreciate your assistance, if that little tyrant were to walk in here now I shudder to think of the lecture he'd hand out after seeing this mess. May I ask your name?"  
  
"Just call me Katura, or Kat for short," she responded, bending to pick up a few books. Her shirt rode up her back a little as she worked, a tiny bit of her tattoo peeking out as she continued to talk. "So who's this tyrant you're so worried about, the principal or something?"  
  
Giles knelt down to retrieve some of the scattered books and replied, "I'm sorely tempted to say 'or something' but no, he's just the principal. We have a mutual dislike of each other and we've clashed a few times over a group of the students." He glanced over at his companion and caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a hieroglyph printed on her back. He thought about asking about the tattoo but asked instead; "Can you give me any more specifics on the curses you're looking for? It should help narrow the search once we find the volumes."   
  
Kat stopped picking up books and put her hands on her knees, hesitating in her response. Reaching up to brush her hair behind her ear, she picked up a book and traced the words on the cover, trying to make her voice light as she said, "I'm looking for something relating Egyptian curses to deities…or perhaps to lunar phases and deities."  
  
Giles stood, motioning Kat to stand as well and led her over to the table where he sat and took off his glasses, preparing to clean them. "Please, do take a seat Kat. Well, you certainly seem to know what you're looking for. The information you provided should help to narrow our search quite a bit. But before we speak any further I'd like to know what prompted a young lady such as yourself to search for these things in the first place? Is there anything specific I should know?"  
  
Kat's eyes darkened to a cold emerald color, a guarded look coming over her face as she sat down warily in front of Giles. Inwardly she cursed her wayward thinking; damn, but she was getting careless, letting something so personal slip out in conversation. Fortunately she was spared from an immediate answer as the doors to the library burst open and in walked Xander, Willow in tow. "Hey G-man, the cavalry has arrived!" Xander lurched to a stop just shy of the table, causing Willow to collide with him from behind. "What happened in here? Did the books finally have enough and declare a mutiny?" He stared down at the chaos at his feet, not noticing the look of relief on Kat's face or the look of shocked recognition on Willow's.  
  
Meanwhile the redhead was trying to recover from her shock; both at seeing the strange woman from the previous Friday at the Bronze, and from the chaotic look of the library and its keeper. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Willow moved around Xander and headed towards Giles, skirting the brunette's side of the table. "What happened? Are you alright Giles?"  
  
The librarian briefly placed his hand on the petite girl's shoulder and said, "Thank you Willow, I'm quite alright. To answer your question Xander, I was attempting to sort through these books and I fell. Now, before we allow our rudeness to go any further I'd like to introduce you both to Katura, or Kat as she prefers. Kat, may I introduce Willow Rosenburg, and her worse half, my missing assistant Xander Harris."  
  
Finally noticing that there was someone else in the room, Xander turned towards her and grinned. "Oh hey Kat, feeling any better today?" Feeling eyes on him, he turned and caught the looks from Giles and Willow. "What? I met her Friday night at the Bronze."   
  
Kat returned Xander's smile, though it was slightly forced. Her eyes remained a dark emerald as she responded. "I'm feeling better, thanks." Turning her head, she glanced at Willow. "Willow is it? Xander told me a little about you the other night. Pleased to meet you." Rising from her chair, she leaned forward over the table, her hand extended.  
  
Remembering how the girl had made her feel before, Willow tried not to let her hand shake as she reached out and shook Kat's hand briefly. "Nice to meet you." Her hand fell back down to her side as soon as it left Kat's. An awkward silence descended on the group.  
  
Giles cleared his throat, making the three youngsters turn towards him. "Well, now that introductions have been made, Willow do you happen to remember where you put those books of Egyptian prophecies and references and such after you scanned them into the dread machine?" The librarian asked.   
  
"I believe you put them in your office; however if you want I can cross check for specific information in the books on this," Willow replied, already moving to her position in front of the computer and turning it on before he could finish speaking. "Anything in particular I should look for?" She glanced Kat's way to see the new girl's reaction to his request, and then back at Giles, waiting for his response.  
  
"Our new friend has an interest in Egyptian curses. Xander would you mind trying to restore some sort of order to this mess?" The older man glanced over that the boy, who already looked bored.  
  
Xander looked at the pile of books on the floor, then at Giles. Shrugging, he bent to pick up some of the books. "Sure thing G-man." As he began to straighten up the floor, he looked over to Kat, raising an eyebrow at her. "So…Egyptian curses? Afraid of mummies or something?"  
  
Kat shook her head, once again tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she thought up some sort of response. She was aware of everyone's eyes on her, and it made her uneasy. "No…it's sort of a hobby of mine. My family traces some of its roots to Egypt and my mother," she tried to keep her voice from catching, "my mother liked to tell me stories; about Egyptian gods of old and some of the curses used back in the days of the pharaohs. After she died…I felt like I had to learn all I could about her favorite topic." It wasn't entirely a lie, for her mother had the same obsession Kat had. It wasn't a choice; it was part of who they were.  
  
Giles looked across the table at the lovely brunette. 'She looks so sad' he thought to himself. Aloud he asked, "Really? Is your mother a professor of some sort? Sadly, interest in ancient cultures has decreased over the years. These days it seems only the scholars have a fascination with the more ancient civilizations."  
  
Kat smiled sadly in agreement, shrugging. "Well, like I said, it's kind of a family thing." Suddenly feeling a little restless, Kat moved over to the mess on the floor, helping Xander put the books on the table for sorting. Her eyes lost some of their focus, becoming more blue than green as she worked silently beside him.  
  
Giles' muscles tensed momentarily in frustration. The strange young woman was trying diligently to not give him any insight into her motives. He was about to reply with another probing question when Xander interrupted. "Hey G-man, what's this thing? It looks older than your precious pyramids." Giles glanced over at the boy and saw he was holding that precious, ancient text with the watchers sacred seal imprinted on the cover.   
  
"Ahh," the Watcher exclaimed, sounding very undignified. "Xander give that here immediately. It more than likely is older than the pyramids. I'll just go put it in my office to peruse later." Giles straightened carefully from his seat, still feeling his earlier tumble. Xander handed him the ancient text and the watcher moved to take the book into his office.  
  
Kat let out the small breath she had been holding. Damn, but that man made her uneasy. She had a feeling if she stayed for very much longer, he would continue to probe into her curious interests. Straightening, she turned her head towards Willow, catching the girl's speculative glance before the hacker looked back at the computer screen. "How long will it take you to find the information?" She kept her voice soft and even, not trying to betray her agitation.  
Willow nibbled on her lip, shifting a little on the chair she was sitting on. She knew that there was a connection between Kat and the website she found online; she was pretty sure the deity Kat was most interested in was Sakhmet, the lion-headed goddess. She knew right where the information was on Giles' computer, but something inside of the redhead made her shrug innocently.   
  
"Giles has a lot of stuff on Egypt; it could take a few days."   
  
Kat stared at the petite redhead for a few moments, not sure if Willow was telling her everything. The unease grew inside of her, however, and she shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. "I gave him some specifics," waving her hand in the direction of Giles' office, "so if you get stuck he can tell you what I'm looking for." She turned on her heel, moving to leave the library. "I'll come back in a couple of days. See you around." Offering Xander a brief smile, she started across the room towards the doors. On the way she veered over to Giles' office and rapped on the door, kicking herself inwardly for feeling she at least owed him a polite goodbye before she fled.   
  
When Kat knocked on his office door Giles had just finished locking the secret drawer in his desk, where he had stored the special book. "Yes? Please come in." he replied to the knock. Kat came in and stood with her arms crossed under her breasts, her posture defensive.  
  
"I have to take off, I need to do some shopping if there are any stores open today. I just came in to say good-bye and tell you that I'll be back in a day or so to see if you've found any of the information I'm looking for. It's been very nice meeting you Mr. Giles." She said, trying to make her voice sound light.  
  
"It's been a pleasure to meet you as well Kat, I will do my best to find some information for you in my books. And please just call me Giles, Mr. Giles is my father." The librarian offered his hand and Kat stepped forward to shake it for a moment. "I'll see you in a few days then, I hope you have a pleasant evening." Giles said as she released his hand. As she turned and left his office he noted her ever changing eyes had darkened again to a deep, piercing emerald.  
  
Out of habit he turned the kettle on to make himself a cup of tea, then walked back into the main part of the library. He spotted Willow still typing away in front of that nasty new piece of technology and Xander paging through one of the new books, no doubt looking for sketches of nymphs and such.  
  
Giles looked at the clock behind the counter as he crossed the room to speak to his charges. "Willow," he said, "I'd appreciate it if you could keep looking for the Egyptian references. Kat is looking for curses relating to deities and lunar phases specifically." The librarian picked up a stack of books from the table, motioning Xander to do the same and heading for the book cage.  
  
The pixie like redhead glanced up from her monitor to reply, "Sure Giles, do you want us to patrol after sunset?" Her face had disappeared back behind the screen before she finished speaking.  
  
"Yes, just a quick one mind you, and don't try to take on more than any one vampire at a time. I worry dreadfully about you when you patrol." The kettle in Giles office started whistling. Giles headed back to his office to stop the infernal squealing calling back over his shoulder, "Xander would you make sure all of the books are in the cage before you leave?" A moment later the library fell into silence as the three occupants turned to their appointed tasks.   
  
The time passed quickly and before Willow knew it, it was time to go out on patrol. "Hey Xan, grab some supplies and lets get patrol done. Maybe we can stop and get something to eat afterwards."  
  
Xander did as ordered, grabbing a good assortment of stakes and their holy water guns. "Ooh food, great idea Wills, lets go!" The teens called out to Giles that they were leaving and trooped out of the library, just catching his order to be careful and to phone him when they got home safely.  
  
Inside his office Giles had debated opening the locked secret drawer and examining the text held within. 'No,' he thought to himself. 'Better to wait until the children have left. I don't want them barging in while I'm trying to decipher it.' He sat down behind his desk with a cup of good English tea and opened the volume on European vampires he'd been studying. By the time Willow and Xander called their good-bye's the watcher had completely forgotten about the drawer and it's contents.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
The young man behind the counter was bored; really bored. It was Labor Day, and instead of enjoying his last few moments of summer, he was stuck working for his father at the local home improvement store. 'Like anyone is actually going to come in here,' he thought dourly to himself, flipping idly though the pages of a magazine. Thus he was very much surprised when the front door bell rang, announcing a customer as it swung open. He was equally surprised when the customer turned out to be a very attractive young woman. Grinning to himself, he tossed the magazine on the counter. 'This is turning out to be a good day after all.' As the dark-haired young woman approached the counter, he turned on his best charm. "Welcome! How may I 'serve' you?"  
  
The young woman seemed oblivious to his flirting. Glancing about the store, her eyes lit up as she spied something that interested her. Gesturing to the display by the window, she asked, "How much?"  
  
Turning, the clerk looked where the young woman was pointing, to the wooden chair in the window. "That? That costs about $30, but it's just a display model. It's not for…hey!" He cried out as she picked up the chair, swinging it around and smashing it against the wall, causing pieces to go scattering. Picking up the legs, along with a few long, splintered pieces, she walked back up to the speechless teenager and flipped a few tens on the counter. "That should cover it." Her lips twisting into an evil smile, she sauntered out of the store, calling back over her shoulder. "Thanks again." It wasn't until several minutes had passed since she left that the youth was able to sit back down in his chair. His eyes continued to stare at the wreckage she had left behind. 


	4. Patrolling

Dodging a pair of unfriendly arms, Willow scooted around a headstone, putting it between herself and the vampire in front of her. As it jumped up on top of the headstone, she threw her vial of holy water in its face, feeling just a little smug when it started to scream and claw at its once handsome features.   
  
Daring a quick glance around, she muttered a few words under her breath that would have shocked those who knew the hacker to be sweet and timid. She wasn't either at the moment; she was annoyed and scared as hell. Either the coroner was lazy when he filled out the death toll this afternoon, or a few newbies had decided to check out Sunnydale in the Slayer's absence. Already they had encountered 9 vampires; and they had only been out here for an hour.   
  
As the scarred vampire jumped down to seek revenge on the petite redhead, she picked up the crossbow she had dropped when she had been ambushed earlier and fired point blank at his chest. Showered with ashes, she gagged slightly and pivoted around, seeking her companion.  
  
Willow spotted Xander a few yards away, using some of the defensive moves Giles had taught him over the summer to keep the vampire in front of him at bay. His face was a mask of concentration as he whirled under the vampire's arm, bringing the stake in his right hand up to impale the vampire through the chest. As the dust swirled around him, he bent forward, placing his hands on his knees as he drew in gasping breaths of air.  
  
Feeling Willow's eyes on him, Xander looked up at her through his bangs. A crooked smile graced his lips and he quipped in between breaths, "Why is it I can't get a date for the dance, yet every vampire within a 5 mile radius of the graveyard seems to want me?"   
  
Willow giggled nervously, bending over to retrieve the arrows she loosed in their latest encounter. Watching his petite best friend check the triggering mechanism on the weapon gave Xander a pang of grief and anger. Here she was, a young woman who should be out dating, or at the very least getting ready for school the next day. And yet she was in the middle of a graveyard, making sure her weapon would fire accurately in their next skirmish with a creature that had been a myth to her a year or two ago…all because of one person. He still wasn't sure how to feel about Buffy's betrayal to the Scoobies; hurt was the primary emotion whenever he thought about the blonde. Concern was there as well, although that was rapidly fading as he faced the inevitable conclusion: Buffy wasn't coming back.  
  
From the look on Willow's face, she was thinking similar thoughts. Not liking the sad look in her eyes, Xander opened his mouth to make more sarcastic comments, only to call out a warning as he saw movement directly behind her. "Behind you!"   
  
Willow swiveled around as fast as she could, instinctively firing the crossbow in the hopes of slowing her target down, only to have it slapped out of hands as the arrow was released. She tried to grab another one of her holy water vials, but the vampire was too quick for her. He grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up until her feet dangled a few inches above the ground. Desperately she struggled to breath, twisting and clawing with all her tiny might. Xander shouted once more and rushed forward, only to be blocked by two vampires as they emerged from the nearby shadows. Frantically he threw a punch at one of the two, reversing his arm to elbow the other one in the stomach. Moving just out of range of their hands, he held up his stake and watched the two of them warily, looking for some opening. Every few seconds he glanced up at Willow, silently praying for some way to save his best friend before she suffocated to death.  
  
Meanwhile the vampire that held Willow grew bored with watching her struggles to breathe. He hurled her into the nearest tree trunk, laughing as her tiny body slid down the trunk and crumpled to the ground. Stalking closer, he grabbed her mane of red hair, his fangs glinting maliciously as he crouched down in anticipation of a good meal. Willow moved quickly then; her hand snaked up from under her body, where she had hidden it from sight when she had crumbled at the base of the tree, and she slammed her cross up against his cheek. Her forward momentum, combined with his surprise, propelled them to the ground, rolling over and over in a mass of fangs, screams, and red hair. As they came to a stop, Willow was trapped under a very angry vampire. His eyes glowed violently and he wasn't gentle when he ripped her head to the side, exposing her pale neck.  
  
Xander's eyes widened as he glanced back in Willow's direction and saw the predicament she was in. "Willow!" he screamed, his attention diverted from the two vampires he was still fighting. One of them circled around behind him, preparing to jump the youth.  
  
"Xander!" Willow called out in warning, closing her eyes as she felt the vampire's breath tickle her throat. 'This is it,' she whimpered at the thought, wishing for some miracle. She didn't see the glint of red eyes above the vampire, or the shadowy figure that leapt down from the nearby tree…  
  
Suddenly, the weight that had crushed her previously was wretched away from her body. Slowly she opened her eyes, trembling as she peered about for the vampire who was about to kill her. A soft breeze swirled the dust in the air, and she was aware of a dark figure dashing away from her, heading in Xander's direction. Willow rolled onto her stomach, sighted the crossbow, and attempted to crawl on her hands and knees over to it. Progress was difficult, as she was still shaking violently from her near miss, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to move faster.  
  
Xander felt a prickling on the back of his neck, and just as he became aware of the fact that one of the vampire's had maneuvered itself behind him, he heard a shout:  
  
"DUCK!"  
  
Wasting no time with questions he dived to the ground, rolling to the side on one shoulder as he felt the air whoosh above him. On his knees, he watched as one of the vampires was tackled in midair, landing on the ground nearby. Its friend, the one that was keeping Xander occupied until the trap was set, hesitated, and then launched himself at Xander. Springing to his feet, Xander lunged forward, stake rushing up to meet the snarling creature. The vampire grabbed his arm in mid swing, attempting to twist the youth's arm behind him. Xander turned around, yelling as he dragged his arm over his body…taking the vampire with it. As the vampire landed on its back Xander knelt down, staking it before it could jump back up. When the vampire burst into ashes, Xander slumped forward onto his hands and knees, his last ounce of strength spent.  
  
The sound of fighting died down in his ears. Guessing that their savior had vanquished the last vampire, he raised his head to thank the person for dropping by. All words died on his lips as he peered at the person standing a few feet away from him. The light of the moon caressed the person's silhouette, making it obvious that this was a young woman. She was slight of frame, and yet the way she pitched in suggested strength as well. She trembled in place, as if she were battling demons within. But what caught him the most was her hair, which was teased by a light breeze. Dark hair, like rich chocolate…  
  
Judging from the slight gasp coming from Willow's direction, Xander guessed she already came to the same conclusion he did. After glancing in her direction to make sure she was ok, he looked back up at the person who had saved them. Taking a shaky breath, he gasped out a name.  
  
"Kat?" The young woman started, turning in his direction. For one second Xander thought he saw her eyes flash, red as blood. As quickly as he saw it, however, she blinked, and her eyes were dark features in her shadowed face. Yet he knew her just the same. From what he could see of her face, she looked rattled…and shocked.  
  
"X…Xander?" Kat gasped breathlessly, darting her gaze between the young man and the redhead she knew was his companion. Narrowing her eyes, she took a few steps towards him, switching the stake from her right hand to her left so she could help him up. As she helped him to stand and lean against her, she called out to Willow. "Are you alright?" The redhead nodded slowly, finally attempting to stand now that the fight was over.  
  
"Yeah, just a little shaken if you know what I mean," she smiled tremulously, and then rushed over to help Kat, worry etched on her face. "Xander? Are you alright?" He chuckled softly, allowing the two women to help him walk over to the nearest bench.  
  
"Me? I'm great Wills; after all, it's not everyday a man gets taken care of by two lovely women." Seeing her frown, he sighed, and then added: "I'm just a little winded; the last vamp took a lot out of me." He sank down onto the bench, closing his eyes in pure bliss. As Willow sat down next to him, he cracked an eye open, peering at Kat as she leaned against a nearby grave marker. Her head moved back and forth as she scanned the area, reminding him of a wild animal searching for predators…or prey. The analogy made him wince inwardly.   
  
A strange thought occurred to him just then. Slowly a smile twisted across his lips. His tone was conversational as he spoke.  
  
"So….you must be the new Slayer…"  
  
"WHAT!" Willow exclaimed, jumping to her feet. Her earlier fatigue forgotten, she glanced back and forth between Xander and Kat. Her…another Slayer? And yet it seemed such an obvious question to ask that Willow couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before. Kat exuded strength, with a grace of movement that was more innate than learned. Add to that her arrival on the Hellmouth, and the ease of which she had dispatched those vampires….yep, she very well could be the newest Slayer.  
  
'But….' Willow thought anxiously, sharing a look with Xander, who was thinking the same thing, 'If she's the new Slayer…does that mean Buffy is…' Her throat starting to close up, Willow whimpered. As she started to sway in place, Xander reached out a hand to steady her. So caught up were they in their own terrifying thoughts that they almost missed hearing Kat clear her throat questioningly. Xander looked at the brunette, who was still lounged against the headstone, eyebrow raised in confusion.  
  
"Um…what exactly is a Slayer?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
  
It took a few minutes of explaining, but with Willow's help Kat managed to convince Xander that not only was she not the new Slayer, but she had no idea what one was. The term sounded somewhat familiar to her however. Crouching in front of them, she twirled a stake in one hand, cocking her head to the side. Willow and Xander squirmed on the bench, looking uncomfortable for bringing up such a sensitive topic. Since neither one of them offered to explain their odd behavior, Kat decided to bring it up.  
  
"Soo…," She drawled out slowly, pausing as both teenagers looked up at her warily. "Would one of you mind telling me what a Slayer is? Oh, and while you're at it," she stopped, standing up to tower over the two of them. A breeze played with the shadows, crossing over her features and making her look more menacing as she continued her question in a falsely light tone. "Maybe you can tell me how two people such as yourselves came to find out about such things as Slayers and vamps…much less what you are doing out in the graveyard, at night, hunting said vampires.  
  
When asked that way, who could refuse to answer? After checking to make sure Xander wanted her to do the talking, Willow took a deep breath and began. "It's kind of a long story…See; we met the Slayer, Buffy, a couple of years ago…" Willow proceeded to launch into an abridged version of their acquaintance with the Slayer; how they met, finding out about vampires, their contributions to saving the world, etc.   
  
Kat's eyebrow rose further as Willow recounted the Scoobies adventures on the Hellmouth. Admiration for the two rose in her chest as she heard about the Master, some evil vampire named Angelus, and all the things they had overcome in the past two years. Shocking her further was the fact that Giles was not just a librarian, but apparently someone who watched over the Slayer, guiding her in her destiny to fight vampires. Something told her that they weren't sharing everything with her, but she felt it best to wait until later to find out the answers to her questions.   
  
However, right now she wanted to take another tour of the graveyard, to clean up any vampires that might still be lurking in the shadows. As Willow's narration wound to a close, Kat's lips quirked into a small smile. "I'm impressed. Most people tend to dismiss vampires as myths, and certainly no one I know volunteers to go after them." Tilting her head back, she looked up at the moon, then back down at Willow and Xander. "Think you're up to another hunt through the cemetery?"  
  
Xander grinned, nodding as he stood up slowly. He was still a little winded, but the time it took Willow to explain about their vampire knowledge gave him enough time to get his second burst of energy back. Turning to Willow, he raised his own stake. "What say you Wills? A little slayage, some Twinkies, and then all good Scoobies go to bed?" Giggling, the redhead agreed, and the trio began to move, eyes and ears open as they searched out any vampires in the vicinity.  
  
An hour and a few vampires later, Kat's estimation of the Scoobies rose another notch. They weren't that bad as slayers; most of the time Xander and Willow fought as a team. Willow would take up a support position, usually somewhere where she could stay a safe distance from the vampire in question. Xander would take point, and engage the vampire so it wouldn't go after the petite hacker. The only flaw Kat could see in their tactics is that it was too easy for the whole thing to fall apart if they encountered too many vampires. Their lack of supernatural senses, combined with the fact there was only two of them, made their attempts very dangerous. And yet it seemed as though they were used to risking their lives every night for the people of Sunnydale. They were truly courageous.  
  
As the trio left the graveyard, they headed in the direction of Xander's house. Each was silent, lost in their own thoughts as they walked down the silent streets of Sunnydale. Xander thought about the way Kat had fought with them; she moved like a panther, graceful and deadly. She reminded him so much of Buffy, and yet the two were nothing alike. Where Buffy didn't like the idea of the two helping her patrol, Kat seemed to genuinely applaud their efforts. She even went so far as to suggest alterations to their tactics, putting herself into a scouting position that would enable her to warn the others of oncoming vampires, but still including them in the battle if they wished to. It was as if she understood their reasons for wanting to fight…  
  
Willow kept glancing surreptitiously in Kat's direction, taking in the girl's profile. Her own mind was whirling a mile a minute, questions cascading down like a waterfall. Just who was Kat exactly? She wasn't a Slayer, but her actions suggested she wasn't entirely human either. And then there was that mysterious tattoo, and her obsession with Egyptian curses. Twisting a strand of her hair in her fingers, the redhead didn't seem to realize they had finally reached Xander's house until he waved his hand in front of her face.  
  
"Wills? Xander paging Wills. You still among the living?" Seeing his best friend's wan smile, he shook his head. "Ok, off to bed with you! Kat," turning to address the dark-haired girl, "Think you can get her home before she begins to see pillows at every corner?" After seeing her nod of agreement, he hugged Willow, turning to his front door. As he opened it he hesitated, then turned back to face Kat. "So, like thanks…for saving our lives out there. Think you'd be up to making this patrol thing a threesome?" As the young woman nodded her head, Xander smiled. "Alright then, slaying for everyone. Meet you at the graveyard tomorrow night." Saying no more, Xander waved his farewell and crept into his house.  
  
Kat and Willow walked to the hacker's house, neither one daring to break the silence. Kat thought about the past few days; her dreams were still the same, a warning of something to come. Now that she knew Willow a little better, she was sure that this was no enemy. However, she was not entirely convinced that the redhead was completely innocent; she knew for a fact that Willow was hiding a few things from her. One of them being the mysterious reason why the Slayer was not with them.  
  
Thus they remained as Kat walked her to the door of the empty house. As the brunette headed back up the pathway, Willow dug her key out of her pants' pocket. Slipping the key into the lock, she started over the threshold, only to stop when she heard the older girl call out to her. Turning around, she waited for the young woman to say something.  
  
"What happened to the Slayer?"  
  
Willow swallowed. She had told Kat more or less the whole story; about Buffy, and about Angelus, but she had neglected to mention anything about Angel. Xander had picked up on that right away, and fortunately he hadn't said anything. Hesitating, Willow fought to find the right words.  
  
"She had to sacrifice something precious to her in order to stop Angelus…she left town shortly after that."  
  
Kat blinked in confusion; the Slayer abandoned her duty? Still unsure why this Buffy would run off and leave her friends to the perils of the Hellmouth, without even a goodbye, she frowned softly. So caught up in her musings was she that she barely heard Willow's own question…even with her enhanced hearing. "What?"  
  
"Do you have nightmares Kat?" A sad smile touching her lips, the brunette nodded. "All the time." She turned, heading back to the sidewalk. "Goodnight Willow."  
  
"Goodnight…Kat." The redhead headed inside, closing the door and sagging against it heavily. Gods, she was so tired. She feared going to sleep though, in case the nightmares returned. Whimpering softly in the back of her throat, Willow glanced at her calendar, seeking the day of the next full moon. Saturday…she would do the spell on Saturday.   
  
Five more days until she got Angel out of hell.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
Across town, Kat stared up at the ceiling of her hotel room. Five more days. Just five more days to stop whatever the dream warned her about. Rolling onto her side, she curled into a fetal position and shivered. She didn't want to sleep, not when the dreams were waiting for her. Try as she might, she couldn't keep her eyelids from falling slowly, ever so slowly, until they closed. As the tendrils of her nightmares began to slip into her mind, she shuddered, mewling low in her throat. Once again, she would dream of that horrible night, the night that changed her forever.  
  
Once again, she would be forced to relive her mother's death…and her birth into the world of darkness. 


	5. The Rescue

The days went by quickly, and soon it was Saturday. From opposite sides of Sunnydale, two people greeted the day with mixed emotions; a sense of excitement in one, and a feeling of dread in the other. The air itself was charged with the tension that grew in both of them, a tension that had been building all week. The town lay in wait like a volcano on the verge of eruption.  
  
Willow could barely contain her nervous energy. Tonight was the night; she had the necessary ingredients, and she would be performing the spell to rescue Angel from Hell. A nervous smile touched the hacker's lips as she darted around frantically, grabbing the things she would need for the spell. Glancing around the room, she looked down at the list she clutched in one hand, making sure she got everything. All that remained was one thing. Grabbing the bag that contained all her supplies, she raced downstairs, careening into the kitchen and braking just before the fridge. Silently the redhead thanked her wayward parents for not being home this week as she opened the door and very, very carefully removed the sealed bags of blood she had thought to get the other night.  
  
As she made her way to the front door she stopped, glancing back around the empty house nervously. A tiny part of her mind tried to talk her out of this risky, foolish attempt. It sounded a lot like Kat; a notion that made Willow frown. The brunette had been very agitated of late; she barely spoke unless Willow or Xander asked her something, and she spent a lot of time glancing at the moon. A couple of times she had caught the dark young woman staring at her, her eyes containing a hint of fear. It was as if Kat knew something about what Willow was going to do…and maybe didn't approve of it.  
  
Willow's eyes flashed, twin emerald's glittering with determination. Kat or no Kat, she was doing this spell. Her resolve face firmly in place, the redhead turned and marched out the door, slamming it behind her. Hitching the backpack up on her shoulder, she moved away from the house and down the street, heading for the site she had chosen to perform the spell…the place where it all began.  
  
The mansion.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Kat stood outside the doors of the high school library, one hand raised to push the door open. Her eyes swirled through a myriad of colors, reflecting the turmoil inside of her. Reaching up to twirl a strand of her dark hair in her fingers, the young woman pondered what she should do. She was fairly certain that Willow would try something tonight, though what she couldn't say. All week she had watched the redhead as the trio patrolled the town, trying to figure out what her motivation was. She had even tried asking a few questions, probing deeper into the mystery surrounding the Slayer, and her connection to the two teenagers.  
  
But Willow was nearly as secretive about herself as Kat was. Sighing, the brunette shook her head; how could she expect anyone to confide in her when she couldn't even tell them about herself? Uneasily she recalled the other day, when she had made excuses for not joining Willow and Xander on their patrol. She couldn't tell them the truth…despite the warnings of her recent nightmares, Kat had become rather fond of the two vampire hunters. She wasn't ready to give up the friendship they were tentatively offering her.  
  
Abruptly she shook her head, eyes darkening stonily as she admonished her foolish thoughts. 'It's only a matter of time before they find out,' she thought bitterly, 'and you'll have to move on.' For some reason that particular reminder made her even sadder.  
  
Glancing at a clock on the nearby wall, Kat noted it was roughly 20 minutes before sunset. 'Cutting it a little close, but this has to be done.' Taking a deep breath, she pushed the library doors open, stepping softly into the room. Her voice was low as she called out, eyes darting about for signs of life.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Willow stared at the floor in the middle of the mansion, her eyes riveted to a particular spot. Even though it had been months since Buffy had sent Angel to hell, the stain left by his blood remained. Slowly she lowered her backpack to the ground, sinking to her knees beside it. Her hand reached out, caressing the darkened area of wood sadly. Tears formed in her eyes and she brushed them aside. Taking a deep breath, she offered the blood-soaked wood a shaky smile. 'Soon Angel…very soon,' she thought, hoping he heard her thoughts and drew comfort from them.  
  
Turning, she opened the backpack and withdrew a container of salt. Brushing her crimson hair out of her eyes she bent forward and poured the salt in a large circle around the area she would use to perform the spell. In the very center lay the spot where Angel had left this plane of existence.  
  
Once completed, Willow went about setting up the items needed for the spell. Beside the bloodstain she placed a shallow wooden bowl. The bottom was fairly flat, which allowed her to place her next object in the bowl without fear of it tipping over: a red, tapered candle. Slowly she withdrew another object from the backpack. A simple dagger she had picked up a few days before, its blade was curvy and double-edged, coming to a point seven inches from the hilt. The pommel of the dagger was etched with the Egyptian symbol of healing, an ankh. This had seemed a good sign to the redheaded witch at the time she had purchased the dagger.  
  
Now, staring at the object in her hand, Willow once again felt anxious about what she was planning on doing. Would she really be able to pull this off? Staring at the gleaming metal of the blade, she reached up to run her finger along its edge. Feeling the slight prick of the tip against her finger, the young witch drew herself out of her doubtful thoughts and placed the dagger in front of the bowl and candle. Checking to see that all was in place, she checked her watch to verify the time. Fifteen minutes until sunset. It was time.  
  
Taking a slow, deep breath, the petite witch closed her eyes and tried to still her thoughts. Her breathing began to even out as she focused on relaxing, mentally readying herself for the power of the spell she was about to start. All doubts and thoughts of mysterious brunettes faded out of mind as one face and name became fixated in her head.  
  
Angel.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
"Mr. Giles?" Not seeing anyone about, she crept further into the room, moving in the direction of his office door. Again she called out his name, "Mr. Giles?" The pretty brunette spotted the light in the librarians' office just a moment before the man himself appeared.  
  
"Why Kat, it's good to see you again. Please do come in. Can I offer you some tea?" Giles asked when he saw the lovely young woman standing before him. He'd rather expected her sooner than this. She'd seemed quite eager to have the information she'd been looking for the last time they'd spoken. 'But before I give her anything,' the older man admonished himself, 'I'm going to get some insight into her motives.'  
  
Shaking her head, the young woman glanced around once more to make sure there was no one else around. As she turned back to face the librarian, she folded her arms over her chest. "No, thank you. I came to talk to you about something," she paused, then added, "and perhaps to ask you a few questions."  
  
"Really." The handsome librarian said, the word sounding more like a statement than a question. If Kat had known what to look for she would've seen a certain gleam enter the mans eye and a subtle shifting of his stance that signaled a change in his entire demeanor. The woman's attitude was a tad off putting and Giles was determined not to give her anything without getting something in return. Therefore, Ripper was about to make himself known. "Well dear, I find I've a few questions of my own for you. Why don't we go into my office." Giles gestured for the brunette to precede him and shut the office door once they were both inside. He walked around his desk and sat down behind it. His eyes fell on the still standing woman and he gave her a look that clearly indicated he wanted her to start the conversation.  
  
The hair on the back of Kat's neck stiffened, and she darted a glance to the door, as if debating whether or not she could make it out before he was after her. A predator herself, she recognized the same qualities in others…and right now the man she'd previously deemed a harmless, cultured librarian looked like he was on the hunt. Mr. Giles wanted something from her, and from the looks of it he would get it before he answered any of her questions.  
  
Kat's eyes darkened and narrowed, emerald slits that threatened with less practiced subtlety than Giles' 'Ripper-mode.' Unfolding her arms, she leaned forward, placing her hands on the desk as she glared at the librarian. Her voice came with a low growl as she spoke. "Look Mr. Giles, I realize I haven't exactly been forthcoming about my intentions with you and your little slaying gang, but this is not the time to get into it." Even as she spoke she could feel the sun sinking closer to the horizon. Her tattoo felt warm on her back as she continued. "Right now that little redheaded witch of yours is getting herself into all sorts of trouble, and if she isn't stopped something bad is going to happen."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
It was time. Slowly the redhead opened her eyes, staring unseeingly at the wick of the red candle. Her lips opened and she began to speak, her voice not entirely her own; some otherworldly element added cadence to her words.  
  
"Sakhmet, Daughter of Ra, I beg thee hear my plea. Thy guiding light is fading; night's dark cloak descends. I stand alone to hold back the encroaching darkness. I ask you, goddess of light, lend me your strength that I might combat the forces of evil and right the wrong that was done here. Light my way and guide my feet upon your path. Let your sheltering light aid me and protect me in my quest; that none may do harm within this circle so long as your blessed flame burns..."  
  
As Willow prayed, her eyes remained fixed on the wick of the candle. A rush of air filled the room, teasing her hair wildly about her face; the air was dry and hot, like a desert breeze. Her eyes seemed to take on an inner brilliance, fire radiating from those twin emerald orbs. One dainty hand rose of its own volition, fingers extended toward the tip of the crimson taper. Suddenly the breeze in the room shifted, whipping her hair in front of her face. The air seemed to grow hotter, expanding from behind Willow in both directions, encompassing the young girl within.  
  
Without taking her eyes off the candle tip, Willow could feel the energy surging out from behind her, licking a path around the line she drew on the ground. In her mind's eye she could see the line glow, a deep red that pulsed like a heartbeat. It encompassed the circle, and the candle sputtered to life with a snap of the girls' fingers, a flame greedily leaping up on the end of the wick. It flickered in the breeze that stirred inside the manor, yet never went out. Slowly the wind died down, and yet the flame continued to dance on the candle, drawing Willow's gaze into its depths.  
  
Strength and purpose surged through her body, burning through her veins in a powerful elixir. She had done it; she had been granted Sakhmet's protection for her foray into Hell. Licking her lips, she lowered her hand, trembling inside with the effort to focus on the second half of her casting. This would be much harder than setting the path; now she must reach out onto the path and draw something from the shadows. Drawing a deep breath, she prepared for the next step; retrieving Angel.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Angel wasn't alone; he was never alone. Even as he knelt in the dark depths of Hell he could feel his demon and others pressing close on all sides, taking almost physical pleasure from his pain. His arms were pulled out to each side and raised slightly so as to cause the greatest discomfort, and held in place with heavy iron chains. Blood oozed from the many cuts and scrapes that marred his chest and back. His cheeks were stained scarlet from the many bloody tears the vampire had shed as his demon flayed his back time and time again with many cruel implements of torture, for what seemed like an eternity.  
  
One of the demons leaned forward, licking the sweat and blood off of Angel's back. He stiffened slightly, recoiling from the demon's touch and shuddering. His head bowed forward, chin resting on his chest which was slick with blood and sweat. He couldn't take much more of this; it already felt like centuries since he had been cast into Hell. Desperately, the dark-haired vampire prayed to all the deities he knew of for a miracle; for some way out of this never-ending nightmare.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Giles mouth opened in shock. A split second later he bolted from his chair, fear for his young charge cutting through the shock of Kats statement. "WHAT?" he roared at the emerald eyed girl, "What is Willow doing and how in the bloody hell do you know about it?" He'd known Willow was up to something, she didn't lie well and he'd caught on to her nervous tension during the week. 'But what is the girl up to that would sound an alarm to this woman who hardly knows her.' The librarian thought. He reigned in his growing panic and glared back at Kat, waiting impatiently for her answer.  
  
"I'm not sure what she's up to; all I know is that it has something to do with dreams…or something like that," Kat was having a hard time concentrating, her back began throbbing with a painful heat as she forced herself to continue. "How do I know she's in trouble? Well, see, it sort of relates to some dreams of my own…" Wincing, the young woman arched back, reaching behind to touch the small of her back where her tattoo was located, it felt like it was on fire. Touching the spot gingerly, she hissed and brought her hand back; her fingers were scalded, and her back was searing hot to the touch.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Her course was set, but the most difficult part was now at hand, though Sakhmet was known as a healer, a benevolent goddess, she required a blood sacrifice for a favor of the magnitude Willow was about to ask of her. The crimson haired witch picked up the dagger and placed it against her palm.  
  
"Goddess Sakhmet, Daughter of Ra. You have blessed the path I am about to take. Now, with my blood as sacrifice I beg of you, open the way through the dimensions, remove all obstacles that stand between me and the souled demon whose blood was spilled in this place before my circle was cast."  
  
Willow drew a deep breath, held her palm and the dagger over the bowl, directly over the flame of the candle. A quick slice and a gasp of indrawn breath, and the witches' dark blood dripped from her hand, over the undying flame of the candle, and into the ceremonial bowl.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
'What's going on?' The dark-haired young woman thought, looking at her fingers, then at Giles. A sick feeling came over her, and she glanced toward the window, noting with dismay how close the sun was to the horizon. 'Sunset…damn it's too near sunset.' A growl issued from the girl's throat as it all came together in her mind. "It's too late; she's already started, and it's too damn late!" The last few words spat out in a vicious snarl, she spun around and raced for the door before Giles could say a word, the back of her shirt riding up to expose the tattoo to his eyes. It was an angry red, pulsing like a heartbeat as she ran from him.  
  
"Kat!" Giles shouted as the girl ran from his office. Before she exited the library he saw what was paining her. The hieroglyph tattooed on her lower back was ablaze with a throbbing red glow. He ran after her, chasing her through the school and out onto the front steps where he had to stop to catch his breath. "KAT!" The highly confused librarian called out one last time. The brunette was across the street by now, heading into the park. As he watched her sprinting away from him the sun sank below the horizon and before his eyes the fleeing woman seemed to shimmer and crouching down, she transformed.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Willow watched, unblinking, and when the blood had nearly covered the bottom of the bowl she continued her prayer. "Sakhmet, my offering is complete. As my blood mixes with the blood of the one I seek, I beg of thee, I pray to thee.  
  
BRING HIM FORTH!" With the last sentence exhaled on a shout of desperation Willow moved her bleeding palm from its place over the bowl to the old bloodstain beside it. A single drop of blood hung from the witches' hand for a moment, then fell to the ground, mixing with the blood of her lost friend.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
As Kat crossed the street the pain in her back increased intolerably. A trembling began in her knees and she fell to the ground, shaking like a leaf. 'No,' she thought frantically, raising her head to gaze at the last rays of sunlight as they disappeared over the horizon. 'It's happening too fast…the spell is triggering my change too quickly.' Fear coursed through her veins, spreading like wildfire as the transformation took her. Her eyes narrowed to mere slits, the pupils swirling and changing into something resembling cat's eyes. Bowing her head to submit to the whims of her goddess, Kat closed her eyes and let the fire sear through her blood, altering and reshaping her body. Bones snapped and readjusted in her body as it nearly doubled in size, clothing ripped at the seams and fell to the ground in useless rags. Naked flesh was quickly with black fur as it sprouted all over her body; the whimper that had lodged in the back of her throat emerged now as a growl as the transformation was completed. Where Kat, dark-haired young woman had knelt but a moment before, a sleek black panther now stood, eyes flashing red in the fading light.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Like a bonfire, the flame on the candle roared to life. The air itself intensified, charged by the power drawn by the redhead's words. Underneath her hand the ground shook, pulsing like an erratic heartbeat. The wood melted away, forming a portal where the bloodstain had been. Light swirled in the depths of the portal, blue and silver tinged with red electricity. Willow felt her fingers sink into the portal; straining, reaching out to the one she was trying to pull back…  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Suddenly, the demons surrounding the wretched vampire hissed, stepping back from him in fear and agitation. Feeling warmth caress his cold, tortured body Angel lifted his face upward, wincing as he opened his eyes and met with a blinding light. Blue and silver light pierced the depths of Hell, tinged with red electricity as it bathed the vampire in its intense light. It caressed him like a long forgotten lover, bringing with it feelings that soothed his aching heart; intense friendship and undying courage. An image appeared in the vampires mind, that of a young woman with deep red hair and eyes as green as the grass of his homeland. She was kneeling inside a sacred circle and one bloody hand hovered over a swirling portal, then she reached into the eerily lighted tunnel and Angel knew the portal above him for what it was: the miracle he had prayed for; a way home.  
  
Slowly he tried to reach up toward the light, discovering in astonishment that his bonds were broken. Joy and hope suffusing him and giving him strength, Angel stood up and tilted his head back to gaze at the portal, a small smile touching his lips. Dainty fingers reached out from the other end of the portal, reaching out for him. He lifted his hand, straining to touch those welcoming fingers…  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
As she reached into the portal, Willow felt something grab her wrist tightly. Panic welled up inside her for a moment before she felt a rush of emotions coming from the other side of the portal: intense fear, beloved friendship, and unwavering trust. Somehow, she knew it was Angel. Twisting her wrist to capture his, she gritted her teeth and pulled with all her strength, at the same time sending her emotions to the one below: hope, friendship, and happiness. Her lips quivered and her body shook with the effort to drag him out of the portal. It was as if Hell itself was holding onto him, refusing to let go.   
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
One of the demons, forgotten at that moment by the vampire, apparently recovered from its discomfort long enough to lunge at him. Desperately Angel reached upward, wildly grasping for the hand that was extended toward him. His hand clamped around her wrist at the same time the creature grabbed him by the waist, trying to drag him bodily away from the portal. Panic rose in his throat, and the vampire twisted in the demon's grasp, kicking his legs with all his might in an attempt to get free. On the other end of the portal, he felt himself being tugged closer and closer to the shining surface of light.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Her shoulder burned with the effort to maintain a good grip, her bleeding hand sticky with the blood that pooled underneath. Biting her lower lip, she threw herself backward in one final heave…and as she fell a large bruised and battered male form emerged from the seething portal, still holding tightly to her wrist. Both figures collapsed on the ground, the portal closing with a rush of air behind them.  
  
Willow stared up at the ceiling, gasping for air. Sweat beaded on her face and she turned to peer at the figure lying beside her. A slow, tremulous smile touched her lips as she got a good look at his features. A tear fell down her cheek, staining the wood as she whispered faintly:  
  
"Welcome home Angel." That was her last coherent thought as the poor witch passed into the realm of slumber, drained of all energy.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
Finally, in what seemed like one desperate lunge, Angel felt his arm being jerked nearly out of its socket. The force behind the pull dislodged the demon on his back, just long enough for Angel to be dragged into the portal. The light became searing, and as he felt himself emerge on the other side, the vampire passed out in exhaustion. He never heard Willow's whispered welcome back, never felt his demon readjusting itself to its confinement in his body once more. But even in his unconscious state he knew his torment was at an end, and he smiled.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Shaking its fur, the mighty cat raised its head, staring off into the distance as if searching for something. It felt a presence far ahead, and an urge to get to it as quickly as possible. In a flash of movement it was off, bounding out of sight as silently as the other predators that occupied the town of Sunnydale.  
  
Confounded, Giles stood on the steps of the high school, his mouth agape at what he'd seen in the deepening twilight. Needing to confirm what his mind was telling him, the librarian walked across the street to the spot where the girl, Kat, had been replaced with the largest black panther he'd ever seen.  
Spotting the rags that were all that was left of Kats clothing, he bent down and scooped them up. Looking closer at the ground he also saw the change from the shoe prints made by a young woman's sandals to the paw prints of a large predator. 'My God, it was real.' The man thought.  
  
After taking note of the direction the panther had gone Giles made his way back to the library, Kats clothing still in hand. Entering his sanctuary he placed the rags and torn sandals on a chair, then sat down at his desk and opened the bottom drawer, where he'd placed the information he'd gathered for the young woman who; it now seemed, was also a panther. Opening the folder Giles started what would undoubtedly be a long night of research.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Silently the dark cat raced through the darkness, enjoying the feel of wind as it ruffled the cat's black fur. Its heightened senses detected other supernatural creatures nearby, making it easy for the panther to navigate around them without much fear of discovery. Normally it would be hunting those things right now, bloodlust raging in its veins; however, a more pressing urge spurred the big cat onward. It grew stronger, beckoning the shadowy beast and spurring it onward.  
  
Soon the black cat slowed in its pace, a dark building looming up in front of the creature. Sniffing the air cautiously, the panther detected the presence of a human…and one of those things that it despised. Its hackles rose and the big predator hissed in anger, fangs glinting in the light of the rising full moon. Moving closer to the side of the house, it sniffed around for a way in.  
  
Sliding through a broken window, the panther landed with a soft thump on all fours. Slowly it stalked through the house, eyes gleaming with a feral light as it sought out its prey. As it came to the main room of the house, the fur on the back of its neck rose once more, and the cat growled menacingly, baring its fangs. In the center of the room lay two still forms, surrounded by some pulsating red light. As the large animal watched, one of the figures stirred, rousing itself long enough to raise its head and look right at the beast. It was the one that reeked of death; the long hated enemy of this animal.  
  
Hissing and spitting, the panther leapt into the air, ready to pounce on its weakened prey…only to yelp in surprise and pain as it encountered the protecting wall of the sacred circle that Willow had cast. Electric fire coursed through the black cat's body and it fell backwards, slumping to the ground before the edge of the circle. As darkness came to embrace the panther, it glared its hatred at the enemy which lay beyond its reach.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Angel blinked at the scene he awoke to, confusion and fear warring in him as he watched the giant beast slump into unconsciousness. He had tried to stand, but the spell and torture had combined to leave him severely weakened. Moving his arms, he struggled to sit up, shaking with the effort it took to raise himself a couple of inches off the floor. Finally he collapsed back on the ground, closing his eyes and sighing. Whatever it was, it couldn't hurt him or Willow right now; he would just have to deal with it after he got some sleep.  
  
As the exhausted vampire slipped back into oblivion, the candle in the center of the room continued to burn with an almost ethereal light.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
Giles sat in his office, carefully studying the information on Egyptian curses Willow had printed up for him to give to Kat. "Bloody hell." The librarian muttered under his breath. He'd found nothing in the printouts about transmogrifying curses, nothing that would give him the faintest clue about the woman/panther. He shut the folder and leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose as if to ward off a headache. Giving up on his search for information about Kat, he decided to concentrate his efforts on trying to find out exactly what Willow may have been up to that had alarmed the brunette woman.  
  
After retrieving his spell books from the locked cabinet that also contained the watchers diaries and his more obscure and valuable books of prophecy, Giles again sat at his desk and began looking through the books, trying to figure out what sort of dangerous spell Willow would have tried.  
  
Hours passed by unnoticed, so engrossed was the librarian in this search. Finally he closed the last volume. Sighing tiredly he thought to himself, 'Rupert, think! What could that girl have been doing that may have been dangerous for her? As far as I know she hasn't done any casting since the soul restoration she attempted for Angel. She hasn't been sleeping well; maybe she attempted a spell to aid her sleep. But no, I don't think any of those spells could be considered dangerous.' The exhausted man made himself a cup of tea and left his office, walking into the main part of the library. He glanced around the room as if the library itself could tell him the answers to his questions. Giles noted that it was about an hour till sunrise; he'd been researching fruitlessly all night.  
  
All of a sudden he spotted Willows computer. "Of course!" The watcher cried. He realized now his mistake. Willow would have kept notes, or some clue of what she was doing on her computer. He rushed over to it, skidding to a halt before the foul piece of machinery. "Now listen you," Giles spoke aloud to the monitor. "You don't like me, and I certainly don't like you, but Willow may be in danger so we're going to have to work together on this. I promise, if you give me what I want I will never touch you again." He sat down before the computer, thinking idly about what a nonce he must look like, speaking to a machine. He turned it on and waited for it to boot up.  
  
The background picture on the monitor showed Buffy, Willow, Xander, Cordelia and himself sitting at the table in the middle of the library. He smiled, remembering that Jenny had come in one day and taken that picture. Giles looked over the icons on the desktop, double clicking on the folder icon titled Willow. It was filled with various documents and sub folders, none of which he thought might be useful as they appeared to be homework assignments.  
  
'Hmm, maybe something on the internet?' Giles thought. He closed Willows folder and tentatively logged himself onto the net. After a few minutes of searching, he found the email program and managed to open it. Glancing at the subject lines on each email he deduced that there was nothing of interest there and closed the program.  
  
'Alright, that was pointless. Let's try that surf program thing.' He thought. Another search got him into the web browser. 'Now what was it she did whenever she wanted to search the coroners' files? Ah yes, favorites.' He opened the pull down menu for Willows favorites folder, smiling slightly when he saw that it was neatly organized into categories. Demons, Newspaper, Miscellaneous, Possibilities, Public Offices, Warez, and Witchcraft.  
  
Most of the folders held no interest to the librarian. He honed in one the one labeled Possibilities first. It turned out to be his lucky break. Inside the folder were links to sites that, though varied in type, all but one held to the same theme: inter-dimensional travel. There were scientific papers, spells, and rituals, to open portals between the dimensions. But the one anomaly to the theme caught his attention; it was labeled Prayers to Egyptian Deities. He clicked the link and the web page loaded for him. It was filled with text relating to Egypt and the deities of the ancient Egyptian culture. At the bottom of the title page were links to several different deities, the links were marked by hieroglyphs along with the name of the God or Goddess. Giles studied the hieroglyphs closely, until his eyes rested on the link to the Goddess Sakhmet; the hieroglyphic name of Sakhmet was the same as the tattoo on Kats back.  
  
Immediately Giles clicked the link. He knew very little of this goddess, but he was certain this page held at least some of the information he needed to find out just what the hell had happened tonight. He read through the page, noting phrases like divine vengeance, Lady of Pestilence, and healer. To the librarian, this goddess seemed to be a warrior for justice; she would lend her aid to warriors in peril if their cause was good. There were links to a few prayers and spells to invoke the aid of the goddess. He clicked on the link to a ritual spell called Light the Path. As he read through the ritual his eyes widened in fear for his charge. He knew now what she had done. Giles jumped out of his chair and ran for the door, stopping only long enough to grab a stake; he had to get to the mansion.  
  
Giles drove, as fast as his Citroen would go. As the town flew by him the librarian went over what he knew. 'Willow always said the second attempt at the restoration worked. She believes in her heart that Angel went to hell with his soul intact. Even after all that Angelus has done to us she couldn't leave him there, not if he had his soul. Foolish girl, there's no way to know for sure the restoration worked.  
  
He was close to the mansion now. But he was going to be too late. The sun was rising. He kept going, he had to know. His thoughts continued to plague him, making him press the gas pedal to the floorboards, urging him to go faster, to find whatever he would. 'If she's done this, and he's Angelus, she could be dead already. If she attempted it and failed, she could be in hell right alongside him.' 


	6. The Fight

Hunger; it gnawed at his stomach from the inside out, forcing the souled vampire to rouse from his deep slumber. Blinking the sleep from his dark eyes, Angel peered about in cautious confusion. He was lying on the floor of the mansion in a circle of white salt, which pulsed with a dim red light. At the center of the circle a red candle burned in a wooden bowl; the taper was nearly burnt out. Turning his head, the vampire encountered a petite body sleeping beside him. Crimson hair fanned out around a pale, pixie like face, sending waves of recognition through Angel's mind as he glanced down at Willow's sleeping form. Images of the previous night flickered behind his eyes, forcing the weakened vampire to relive his exit from Hell. He bent forward, clutching his head as the visions assaulted him one right after another.  
  
His stomach growled once more, forcing Angel's thoughts back to the present. With Willow so near, her blood calling out to him like a siren, his demon struggled close to the surface. The vampire recoiled in horror and backpedaled; his hand encountered something plastic and squishy, causing him to look down in confusion. Bringing his hand up to his face, Angel realized he held a bag of blood, probably provided by the redheaded witch for just such a situation. Without pause he morphed into demon face, piercing the bag with his teeth and drinking it as fast as he could in order to avoid the cold, metallic taste of packaged blood. His hunger cooled, but did not fade, and the vampire glanced around at the floor, seeking more packages to sate his thirst. Two bags later he sighed in relief, the blood thirst dying down to a more manageable level.  
  
As his human mask reemerged, Angel became embarrassingly aware of another problem; he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. Sheepishly he searched around for something that would be suitable to wear, so as not to frighten or embarrass his witchy friend when she finally woke up. He tried to move outside the circle, but the red glow acted like a force field, imprisoning him for the time being. Spotting Willow's backpack near the center of the circle, Angel moved to retrieve it and see if she had brought any spare clothing. A hint of a smile touched his lips as he pulled out a pair of black sweat pants, and a black tank.  
  
'Sweet Willow, she sure does think of everything doesn't she?' Angel contemplated as he donned the clothing so thoughtfully provided for him. Making sure it fit, he padded silently over to the sleeping redhead, kneeling down to watch her for a few moments. Slowly he reached out, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead and whispering hoarsely, "Thank you.friend."  
  
Suddenly Angel became aware of another presence in the room, one he had up till now ignored entirely. Just on the outer edge of the fading circles light, a dark form lay, eerily still. Frowning, Angel crept closer for further inspection. A faint animalistic scent touched his nose as he leaned forward to get a good look at the creature lying on the ground. Surprise and confusion drew his brows together as he discovered it was a large panther, black as midnight. Its side rose and fell as it slept; unaware of another predator looming uncertainly over its body, struggling to recall what it was doing there in the first place.  
  
As Angel debated over his next action, he felt a slight stirring of air in the still mansion. Turning, he looked at the scarlet candle, watching as the flame at the end sputtered, then died out. As the light from the candle faded, the line marking the sacred circle flickered, fading away into nothingness. So intent was Angel on the disappearing protective barrier that he failed to notice the creature beside him stirring.and changing into something else entirely.  
  
Turning his head back to study the panther once more, Angel sucked in an unneeded breath of surprise. The black cat was gone, and in its place was the body of a young woman. Tilting his head to one side, the vampire studied her face, searching for anything familiar about her. She was certainly attractive, with dainty features framed by thick, wavy brown hair. Nothing in her face suggested familiarity however and so his eyes traveled lower of their own accord, widening as he came to realize something about this young woman: she also appeared to be unclothed. Slightly embarrassed to be staring openly at a strange young woman's body, the vampire tried to move his eyes back to her face. The demon inside him didn't seem to agree with the idea however; it was perfectly content to ogle the delectable young morsel. Frowning, Angel struggled to control his demon.and his eyes. While he was trying to subdue his darker half, he failed to notice the young woman's eyes snapping open, green fire blazing from their depths.  
  
The feeling that someone was standing over her brought Kat out of her pain- induced stupor. Her nostrils flared slightly as she inhaled the scent of the intruder; the hair on the back of her neck stiffening as she became aware of the strangers vampiric nature. Acting on instinct she raised her upper body in a blur of motion, her hand curling into a fist and flying in the direction of the vampire's unprotected face.  
  
Angel barely had time to blink as the brunette lying at his feet suddenly moved, her fist rushing up to connect with his face. Bright light and fire burst behind his right eye as her fist made contact, causing the vampire to reel backwards in bewildered pain. Warily he took a step back, putting some distance between them as he watched the little spitfire bound to her feet, raising her arms and assuming a fighting stance. Admiration for her speed mingled with an appreciation for her strength, not to mention her beauty; the flush of anger that spread over her made for an interesting show in her naked state. Her eyes flickered between dark green and black, a fascinating trick of light that made him raise an eyebrow, before wincing as it intensified the throbbing in his eye.  
  
Kat couldn't believe what she was seeing.a goddamn vampire ogling her! Growling low in her throat, she launched a spinning back kick at him, bringing her leg up and around aiming for the side of his head. As the vampire ducked under her leg to avoid her foot she changed tactics, planting her feet and aiming a back fisted punch at his throat.  
  
Angel snapped out of his reverie as the angry young woman threw a kick at his head. He tried to dodge, but she kept pressing forward in a flurry of acrobatic and inventive movements. He blocked a series of well aimed punches as best he could, though he took a few hits to the chest and stomach area. He backed up in an attempt to get out of range of her fast flying attacks. His ire rose as she continued to press forward, her natural grace and style belying her skill. 'Oh yea, she's pretty alright,' he thought darkly, '.pretty fucking dangerous.' The dark-haired vampire tried to keep his movements defensive, but with each fist that flew at his body his demon edged closer to the surface.  
  
Kat twisted, throwing a powerful side kick at the vampire. She felt it connect and watched as the creature flew backwards, sprawling on the ground before her. Her pleasure was short-lived, however, as she saw what he had tripped over in the process: the still form of one of her new friends, the redheaded hacker Willow. Her skin was so pale as to nearly be translucent; dark circles marred the translucent skin under her eyes, and she barely seemed to breathe. The odor of blood rose from Willow's body, causing the brunette to hiss under her breath. If possible, her eyes became even flintier as she scowled down at Willow's body, clenching and unclenching her fists. 'The bastard,' she thought angrily, struggling to control her fury, 'the bastard already got Willow!"  
  
The taste of blood in his mouth made Angel growl, pain and outrage making his human mask slip. His eyes burned with golden fire as his demon struggled to be free of its imprisonment, its rage howling for the life's blood of its attacker. Licking the trickle of blood that had formed at the corner of his mouth, he watched the girl's expression darken noticeably as she glared down at Willow. An uneasy feeling overcame the angry vampire as he watched her struggle with her own anger; if her eyes expressed her thoughts and feelings at this moment, it looked as though she were wishing Willow a slow and very painful death.  
  
'Over my undead body,' Angel vowed darkly, his protective instincts aroused and adding strength to his demonic side as he vaulted back to his feet swiftly and silently. Without waiting for the brunette to attack either Willow or himself he rushed her, slamming into the deranged woman and tackling her, throwing them both backwards to the ground. As he felt the breath rush out of her body he grabbed her by the nape of her neck as he would a cat and stood, dragging her to her feet before flinging her roughly against the wall. A rush of pleasure overcame him as his demon reveled in her groan of pain. Growling loudly deep in his throat he hauled her to her feet once more, twisting her around and picking her up by the throat with one hand. He slammed her against the wall, pushing her up a few inches so that her feet dangled above the ground. As she fought and struggled for breath he smiled evilly, his demon howling in its prison, desperately trying to take complete control of the situation.  
  
Kat struggled in his grasp, feeling light-headed from a combination of dizziness, pain, and lack of air. She hissed and fought as hard as she could, scratching and clawing at his hands for all she was worth. His grip on her throat however was like a vise; the harder she fought, the tighter his grip became. Her breathing became shallower, and her vision started to blur, his demonic visage mocking her suffering as his eyes glowed with determined intensity.  
  
Angel continued to hold the brunette against the wall, his demon reveling in her attempts to free herself and breathe. So caught up in her torture was he that the vampire almost missed the soft, melodic voice that called his name. Turning his head slightly, he watched in surprise as Willow got to her feet, eyes beseeching him softly.  
  
"Angel please," she whispered, fearful tears brimming in her eyes as she watched her vampire friend try to choke the life out of Kat. "Please, let her go."  
  
The softness of the plea, coupled with her teary gaze, had the effect of a cold bucket of water, dousing Angel's anger and bringing his sanity abruptly back to the forefront of his mind. Shaking with the effort to reign in his demon, he slowly lowered Kat to the ground, loosening his grip on her neck enough for her to breathe, but not to get away. Glancing back at the redhead, Angel wondered if she was going to explain just who this young woman was.and what she was doing here.  
  
Suddenly, the door of the mansion burst open, letting the morning sunlight stream in. Luckily, Angel was out of its direct path and, though he winced instinctively, he kept his grip on his attacker. A tall, menacing figure appeared in the doorway and stalked into the room. Willow and Angel turned to see who this new intruder was. To their astonishment the threatening form was Giles.  
  
"What in the SODDING HELL is going on here?" the furious man roared. As the librarian took in the scene before him, his face registered anger, fright, and confusion. Angel stood game faced with a very naked, very angry Kat gripped by the neck and pressed against the wall. Willow was walking slowly towards the vampire, her hand extended to him and tears filling her beautiful eyes.  
  
Startled by Giles' entrance and subsequent outburst, Willow squeaked and stared at him, trembling like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming automobile. Angel, too, was distracted by the frantic librarian; so much so that he didn't notice the calculating gleam appear in Kat's eyes.  
  
Kat, while shocked that Giles had managed to find his way here already, nevertheless recovered her composure rather quickly as she felt Angel's hold on her loosen even more due to this distraction.  
  
A sound between a hiss and a groan issued from Angel's lips as Kat's knee connected solidly with his groin then again with his face. Stumbling backwards a step or two he fell to his knees, bending over and moaning as the fiery pain spread over him. He was dimly aware of the commotion that had been unleashed upon the hellcat's actions, but it was hard to hear through the roaring in his ears.  
  
Kats renewed attack on Angel spurred the others to action. Giles flinched as Angel was kneed in the groin, but at the same time an unholy glitter appeared in his eyes. He started forward, gripping his stake tightly, intent on staking the man who'd caused him so much grief. At the same time Willow, seeing her friend go down ran to the vampire and stood over him like a mother lion. She saw both Kat and Giles heading for them, murder written clearly on their faces. Without even thinking the petite witch threw her arm out and shouted "PROHIBEO!"  
  
The two did indeed stop; they seemed to freeze in mid stride, unable to keep advancing on the injured vampire. Angel opened his eyes upon hearing Willows command. He saw his attacker and the watcher frozen in place and looked up at his savior in astonishment. "Willow?" the dark haired vampire said, his tone questioning.  
  
"Shhh Angel, I wont let them hurt you." Willow stated, her famous resolve face making an appearance. Her eyes never left Kat and Giles, but her free hand went to Angels head and pressed him gently to rest it against her tummy. She stroked his soft hair and began speaking to the frozen duo.  
  
"Alright you two," Willow began, her voice ringing out with determined anger upon seeing the mutinous faces of the Watcher and the young woman. Raising one hand, she continued to stroke Angel's hair as she pointed accusingly at the two. "I have had just about all I can stand of you and your asinine attempts to kill Angel. I have worked too damn hard to rescue him from Hell and I will NOT let you two screw it up by sending him back!"  
  
"Not ONE word!" she continued, sweeping her hand in a "silence" gesture as soon as Giles' opened his mouth to argue. "Unless you're completely blind or something, you've noticed that I haven't been sleeping well these past couple of months. I couldn't sleep because, when I did, all I did was dream about Angel, and how they tortured him in Hell.." Her voice softened in sadness as she remembered some of the things she saw Angel go through, and when he tightened his arms on her waist in surprise she hugged him back briefly. Taking a deep breath to compose herself and offering Angel a comforting smile, the redheaded witch continued in a more subdued tone, "It was driving me insane Giles. I knew how you and Xander would feel about this but I had no choice; I had to help my friend. Look," she paused, noting the dubious look on the librarian's face, "I know you don't believe me, but can't we please talk about this civilly? If you just give him a chance, you'll see that this really is Angel.and that I did the right thing."  
  
To say the least, Giles was furious. Not only had his innocent little Willow brought back the worst demon the team had ever faced, but now she was standing over him, cuddling him to her and offering comfort while at the same time holding both Kat and himself off with magic. When the redhead started her diatribe the librarian was determined not to listen, to simply bide his time until the girl released him. But when she mentioned that her lack of sleep was due to dreams about the tortures Angel had received his heart went out to her. There was such pain in her eyes when she spoke the words, and she clutched the vampire tighter to her. 'He's a demon, he killed Jenny, and he tortured me.' Giles ran down a mental list of everything Angelus had done to him and to the rest of the scoobies. Even as his mind relived the torments he couldn't deny Willow the chance she was asking of him. Especially since, for the moment at least, she seemed able to control the vampires' instincts and soothe him into submission.  
  
When the girl was finished speaking he felt the tension of the spell loosen so that he was able to speak. "Alright Willow. Let us go and we will give you a chance to explain your actions and prove to us that this really is Angel." The librarian capitulated.  
  
Snorting, the dark-haired young woman glanced at Giles, then at Willow, in utter amazement. "You've got to be kidding!" Her voice rose in pitch and anger as she continued, "He's a vampire! I have no idea what you're talking about, if he's some angel or not: he's a fucking demon! You might as well keep me here till Hell freezes over, cause I am not going to wait for him to kill me first!" Her eyes promised to back up her words, ebony points of flint that glittered dangerously back at both Willow and the vampire she was holding to her.  
  
The petite witch narrowed her eyes in response to Kat's words; true, Kat had no idea who Angel was.they hadn't exactly been forthcoming in information regarding Buffy's boyfriend, other than to say that she lost him due to the coming of Angelus. Still, that was no reason for Kat to be so unrelenting in her goal. A tiny part of Willow suspected Kat had deeper reasons for wanting a vampire dead, but now was not the time.  
  
Anger burning once more in her veins, Willow retorted, "So what if Angel's a vampire? You don't know anything about him; he's not like other vampires you know." Another snort from the brunette made Willow grit her teeth, forcing her next words out slowly. "Angel was cursed with a soul, once by gypsies, then recently by yours truly. Basically, he's still a vampire, only now he has a conscience." From the dubious looks Kat was throwing her, she didn't think the young woman would believe her.  
  
Kat raised an eyebrow, not sure she heard the fiery redhead clearly. 'A vampire with a soul; does she really think that would stop someone like him from killing anyone?' Sighing, Kat shook her head. Or tried too at any rate. This paralysis spell really annoyed her. "And that's supposed to make me trust him, a fucking soul?" Laughing, Kat smiled wryly. "Oh Willow, don't you know there are tons of people out there, with souls, who do things that are regarded as monstrous? What makes you think a soul is going to stop Mr. Fangy there from killing?"  
  
Still clutching Willow's waist, Angel growled in the back of his throat. His demon raged just below the surface at her words, his head and lower regions still throbbing from the hellcat's last assault. As he muttered something about naked bitch cats and their occupation in hell, he felt Willow tighten her hand in his hair in warning. Glancing up with golden eyes, his demon visage already slipping back into place, he saw her frown at him. "Don't you start," the redhead admonished him, causing Angel to glare at Kat once more before closing his eyes and leaning his head back on Willow's stomach. As she continued to stroke his hair he relaxed slightly, his human face reappearing.  
  
Once satisfied that her vampire friend had calmed down, Willow fixed Kat with a penetrating stare. She waited several moments before responding to Kat's questions, and when she did, it was with a question of her own. "How can you speak to me of trust; you don't even trust us enough to tell Xander, Giles, or myself about who you really are?"  
  
Kat bit her lip and looked away from the redhead, staring off at a spot on the wall. Damn, but she had a point there. When put that way, Kat was no better than the rest of them. 'In other ways.I guess I'm no better than the vampire. He isn't acting like any vampire I know, that's for sure,' she mused, contemplating Willow's ability to calm him. Sighing, she continued to glance at the wall as she finally spoke up. "Fine, I won't kill your vampire just yet. But," she added, her eyes moving to meet Willow's determined ones, "I promise you.if he is just another vampire, I will kill him."  
  
"And I can promise you," Willow stated, her tone as cold as Kats eyes were hot, "that it will be over my very dead body." With that promise made, Willow released the two from her hold. They both stumbled rather comically before righting themselves.  
  
"Perhaps we should take this discussion to the living room where we can all sit down." Giles commented. Willow nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, but maybe Kat should go upstairs and find something to wear first. Angel, would Dru have left anything behind when she and Spike left?" the petite girl asked.  
  
Nodding into Willow's stomach he leaned back just far enough to talk without sounding muffled. Clearing his throat, he pointed behind him, in the direction of the stairs. "Up there.to the right. Spike and D..Dru's room." The vampire winced momentarily as he thought about his childer, pain and sadness melting the gold from his eyes and returning them to their usual chocolate shade.  
  
Willow went back to running her fingers through Angel's hair as Kat moved in the direction of the staircase. She bit her lip to keep from giggling as she saw Giles trying unsuccessfully to keep from staring after the dark- haired young woman. Feeling movement against her waist, Willow assumed Angel was also trying to get a peek.  
  
Clearing her throat, Willow tapped Angel on the head to get his attention. As the vampire looked up at the redhead she raised an eyebrow. "Think maybe you two could take your eyes away long enough to move to the living room?" She looked at Angel as she spoke, but her statement was obviously for both men.  
  
Angel smiled somewhat sheepishly, while Giles managed to clear his throat uncertainly. "Yes. Um.perhaps we should move while Kat.uh.makes herself presentable," he stammered, face flushing as he studiously avoided looking in the brunette's direction again. Willow bit her cheek to keep from laughing at their faces as she helped Angel to his feet; they looked like little boys who had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Somehow she managed to help Angel move towards the living room without giggling at their reactions, Giles trailing behind them.  
  
Meanwhile, Kat found the room that she supposed had belonged to this Spike and Dru. Glancing around at the dark décor, she raised an eyebrow at the row of dolls that lined one of the walls. Picking one up, she stared at it for a moment before shuddering. "I.don't think I want to know," she muttered, putting the doll back down and moving away from the creepy things. Spying the closet nearby she moved closer to it, opening the doors and searching through the clothing for something suitable. As she pulled out something light and airy she wrinkled her nose.  
  
'It's a dress,' she frowned at the dainty garment. 'I don't think so!' Shaking her head violently, she thrust the offending outfit back into the closet, her search becoming more determined. "I'll be damned if I'm going to.aha!" Further back in the closet Kat discovered an entirely different style of clothing; stuff that looked like it belonged to the other former occupant of the room. A sigh of relief escaped the brunette's lips as she reached in, drawing out a couple of items.  
  
"Now THIS is more like it!" Her lips twitching into a smile, Kat began to get dressed, relishing the feel of leather and silk as it caressed her body. 


	7. Discussion

While Kat was upstairs pondering the mass of dolls and getting acquainted with Spikes leathers Giles, Willow, and Angel adjourned to the living room. The watcher tried to appear nonchalant about entering the room but his gut clenched, remembering the torture he'd endured there. He sat down on one of the two sofas and prepared for the difficult conversation ahead.  
  
Willow led Angel to the sofa opposite the one Giles occupied and sat down with him. She went to release his hand but the vampire increased his grip and she relented, wrapping her fingers around his hand once more. "Giles? I'm so sorry I didn't tell you what I was planning, I knew you wouldn't let me try if I told you, but, don't you see, I had to bring him back. As awful as Angelus was, Angel didn't deserve to suffer for the demons crimes. I hope you understand. Please, try to understand."  
  
The librarian sighed, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. "My dear girl, I am trying, I really am. But don't you see how dangerous this was? There was no way to know for sure that your second attempt to re soul Angel worked. You could very well have brought Angelus back, or Gods forbid, ended up in hell with him. As it is, the magicks you invoked could have dire consequences in the future. If you'd only explained about your dreams, we could have worked to find a way to relieve you of them, instead, you risked great peril to bring back a demon the rest of us were quite happy to see the end of." Giles cut himself off. The older man could've kept ranting until the end of days. He was frightened, both of the demon sitting across from him, and the sweet young girl who was intent on protecting him as though he were a child.  
  
Clearing his throat to try, Angel leaned forward, rubbing Willow's hand lightly in reassurance as he addressed Giles. "Rup..," Angel began using the librarian's given name then, seeing Giles stiffen, started over, "Giles…I know that, after what I did to the group, and to you as well, that nothing I say can take back what happened. I betrayed everyone; I exploited your weaknesses, and I threatened to kill all of you. I regret every moment of it, especially when I..when I killed Jenny." Angel's voice wavered as he mentioned the gypsy he had left in Giles' apartment for him to find in bed, dead by the vampire's hands. A bloody tear fell down his cheek as he continued, staring off into space as he unburdened himself to the librarian. I relived it all; every single, horrific moment over and over, until I thought I would go insane. I tried to stop myself, but each time…each time I…"  
  
Letting go of Willow's hand, Angel brought his hands up to his face, openly crying now as all the torment, all the guilt, assaulted him anew. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," he sobbed, his body wracked with shudders as he continued his litany of sorries. So much…I did so many horrible things. Gods, Willow, sweet girl, you're wrong, I did deserve what I got in hell, that and so…so much more." Overwhelmed, Angel couldn't continue and again when Willow touched his shoulder the vampire turned, burying his face in the girl's lap, sobs wracking his large body.   
  
None of the three people realized the scene was being watched by a pair of brilliant green eyes.  
  
Willow sat, cooing to the grief stricken vampire and stroking his back. She looked over at Giles and was relieved to see that her mentor no longer believed that Angel was soulless. She smiled sadly at the british teacher, silently thanking him for his understanding. Slowly Angel's sobs lessened; under her gentle caresses Angel seemed to recover a bit of his composure.  
  
As they waited for Angel to completely recover, and for Kat to return, a stray thought occurred to Willow. "Giles," she asked, her voice quiet, "How did you and Kat know what I was doing? How did you manage to find me?"  
  
The librarian blinked, momentarily taken aback by the change in subjects. "Oh dear lord, that's another story altogether. I spent the entire night researching after Kat warned me and left rather err, abruptly. I eventually found the spell you were casting on that infernal bloody machine you love so much. But I think we should wait for Kat before we discuss last night's events more thoroughly."  
  
Moving back into the hallway, Kat leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes as she contemplated what she had witnessed. As long as she had known vampires, she had never known them to show the depth of emotions that dark-haired one had exhibited. In fact, she couldn't recall ever having seen one of them so much as shed a tear, even for a fallen companion. Angel's misery touched a chord inside of her, much as she hated to admit it; she knew what it was like to have suffered such gut-wrenching heartache.   
  
'Willow may be right; he certainly doesn't act like any vampire I have known…' she mused silently. The cynical part of her mind questioned her judgment however. 'But…if he's such a good person when he has a soul, why was he sent to Hell?' Confused, the brunette decided to find out as soon as possible. From what she had heard, they would want to know about her as soon as she returned. Hesitating, the dark-haired young woman debated going in, or leaving and facing them some other day. Steeling herself mentally, she moved towards the doorway, this time making enough noise that at least the vampire should be able to hear her coming.  
  
Hearing footsteps nearby, Angel raised his head, wiping the tears from his face as he moved from his rather comfortable position to sit beside Willow on the couch. The trio watched as Kat emerged, striding across the room in a rather unexpected outfit: Instead of one of Dru's ancient gowns, Kat had picked out something that undoubtedly belonged to Spike. A silk shirt of a vibrant red color, the tail ends tied together so that her midriff was exposed, topped a pair of sleek leather pants. A little loose on the slender woman, they rode low on her hips as she approached the couches.   
  
His defenses weakened from his outburst, Angel was slightly jarred by the young woman's attire. 'Spike never looked that good in those pants did he?' Angel thought, not realizing he had murmured those words until he heard a muttered response from the redhead sitting next to him. 'He sure did.' Shooting a dark, confused glance down at Willow, the dark-haired vampire frowned, not sure he heard her correctly.  
  
Meanwhile Kat moved to sit on the couch Giles occupied, sitting as close to the edge as possible. As the three stared at her silently, she crossed her arms over her chest, slouching back in the couch and glaring defensively. "What?"  
  
The other three fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable about the conversation they were about to have. No one wanted to start talking first. Finally Willow, resolve face making a brief appearance, began. "Ok, first I don't think you two were properly introduced, what with the fighting and all." Willow glanced between Kat and Angel before she continued. "Angel, this is Kat. We don't know much about her as of yet but I'm hoping to rectify that today. Kat, this is Angel. He's a dear friend of mine, and yes, he's a vampire, but like I said before, he has a soul. Before we start I'll catch you up a little so you understand better."  
  
Willow gave Kat some details about the scooby gangs' history with Angel. She told the skeptical brunette about how she and Xander found out about vampires and about how Angel had slowly made his way into their group by first giving Buffy vague clues as to what was happening with the Harvest, patrolling with the slayer and aiding the scoobies with research. When Willow was finished Kat looked over to Giles, silently asking for confirmation of the redheads statements. Giles nodded his head and answered, "Everything Willow told you is true. Angel has been with the group since we formed and has aided us time and again." It hurt the watcher to admit it, as he was still dealing with his memories of Angelus.  
  
"Ok so he's helped you guys out, but what about this soul thing? I mean yeah, helping humans is strange but that doesn't mean he's any different on the basic level." Kat questioned the group.  
  
Angel answered, leaning forward as he began to speak, "Well…I guess you could say I fed off the wrong girl." A sardonic smile touched his lips as he continued, his voice smoothing out from its earlier hoarseness. "My sire gave me a present in the form of a beautiful young woman…turned out she was favored among her clan of gypsies, the Romany." Sighing heavily, the vampire resumed his explanation, "In retaliation, they decided to do the worst possible thing they could think of to a vampire; they gave me a conscience. Basically, I can still do everything I did before, but I suffer for it." His eyes betrayed the truth of his words, a haunted look echoing in the depths of those chocolatey orbs.  
  
Kat stared at the vampire in shock, mouth partly slightly. 'A conscience…yea, I can see where that would suck; facing your bad moments and wishing you could…ok, don't go there Kat,' she shuddered slightly, nodding her understanding to Angel. "Ok, I think I get the soul thing." Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to continue. "But if that is the case, then why did Giles come in here ready to kill? And why were you in Hell for that matter?"  
  
When Angel went to reply, anguish written clearly in his features, Giles waved him back. "No Angel, I'll tell her." Relieved, but knowing the next few minutes weren't going to be pleasant, the vampire sat back and took Willows hand when she offered it.   
  
The watcher sighed deeply and began to polish his glasses. "I'll answer the second question first Kat. Last spring something happened, which none of us are prepared to speak of right now, and Angel lost his soul. Angelus, as he was known before the curse, returned and bent his attentions to destroying us."  
  
Giles paused for breath and continued, his voice shaking. "He tortured us with mind games, and killed one of our group, my girlfriend Jenny. When his efforts failed to break us he decided to destroy the world. The statue of Acathla had been unearthed and he stole it. Buffy went to stop him from opening the portal as Willow tried to re curse him. Apparently the curse worked, but not in time. Angel was sucked into hell."   
  
Giles stopped speaking, though he wasn't finished. "After you warned me that Willow was doing something dangerous, I spent the entire night researching. When I figured out what she was trying to do I panicked, I was afraid she had brought Angelus back. You see, there was no way to know for certain that the curse had worked. I wanted to send him back to hell before he could hurt us any more."   
  
A look of apology flickered across the librarian's face as he turned to Angel, noting the vampire's pain, which rivaled his own. "I do apologize Angel; I can see that Willow was right, you do have your soul back. Please forgive my rather…rash conclusions?" The vampire nodded slightly, knowing there was still much the two men had to talk about…another time.  
  
Brow furrowing, Kat watched the two of them, nibbling her lip in deep thought. "So, you believe that this really is the old Angel…but, how do you know he won't become Angelus again?" A flinch from Angel, small but noticeable, made the young woman wish she could take back the question.  
  
A look was exchanged between Giles, Willow, and Angel. Giles responded, saying, "I believe that is one of the things we don't wish to discuss at the moment. Let's just say that circumstances now don't allow for that to happen again." Both Angel and Willow nodded. Now that they had explained who and what Angel was, Giles prepared to change the subject. He still wanted answers from Kat, and now had even more questions for her, and since this appeared to be what the children called 'share time' the watcher was determined that Kat would do some sharing of her own.  
  
Acting on his thoughts Giles turned to Kat and asked the question that was foremost on his mind. "Alright Katura, we've all explained ourselves to you, I think it's about time you returned the favor. Just who are you?"  
  
Kat grimaced, knowing full well the librarian's determination by the way he didn't use her nickname; instead calling her Katura. Sighing, she reached up with one hand, capturing a strand of hair in her fingers and playing with it idly as she stared at some spot past Willow and Angel. After a moment she began, her voice low as she spoke, "My full name is Katura Akensakhmet." Seeing the look in Giles' eyes, she continued, "My last name roughly translates out to 'Servant of Sakhmet;' it is a family name…passed down from mother to daughter. It symbolizes our tie to the Egyptian goddess, as well as the curse that we have had to bear over the years."  
  
Taking a deep breath, the brunette rushed on before her courage could leave her. "Many centuries ago, a young thief entered one of the temples of Sakhmet, the Egyptian goddess of divine justice. She made the mistake of trying to take one of the statues from the shrine…a mistake for which she paid dearly, for Sakhmet is not what you would call a forgiving goddess." Smiling darkly, the young woman continued. "Every night the full moon shines upon the land, the woman was cursed to become a panther, something twin to the werewolf curse if I'm not mistaken…except no one may become cursed like my family by a bite or scratch."  
  
When the young woman stopped speaking Giles nodded his head, saying, "That does explain a few things, not the least of which was why I saw you change form last night. I have the remains of your clothing in my office if you'd like them back." The older man paused before continuing with his questions. "Now, my next question is; Why are you in Sunnydale?"  
  
A faint blush appearing on the young woman's cheeks as she remembered the remains of her clothing she had left behind, she almost didn't hear Giles' question. Frowning, she lowered her gaze to her lap, curling her feet under her body as she tried to figure out how to answer his question. "I'm not sure why exactly…my dreams led me here, so to speak. Ever since my…for a long time now I've been traveling around, but for the past several weeks I've felt drawn here, like there is something coming, and I'm a part of it all."  
  
"Dreams you said? Do you often have prophetic dreams? Though the pull you felt may have simply been that of the hellmouth." Giles paused and Willow took the opportunity to ask a few questions of her own.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt you Giles but I'd like to ask Kat some questions too." The redhead directed her gaze to Kat. "How did you know what I was doing last night? Giles mentioned that you warned him I was up to something. Is it a connection to the goddess, 'cause, you know, Sakhmet is the goddess I invoked for help last night…and now I'm starting to babble so I'll shut up now." Willow cut herself off before she could start a full blown babble, giving the brunette a chance to answer her.  
  
Kat clenched her jaw, the memory of the searing pain her tattoo had dealt her still fresh in her mind. "Yes, you could say it was because of my connection to Sakhmet," she replied darkly, narrowing her eyes as the redhead's words played in her mind. "Wait a minute…how exactly did you find an incantation for Sakhmet in the first place?" Before the redhead could answer the brunette stood up abruptly, eyes flashing emerald fire. "Of course!" Anger coursing in her veins, the brunette shook a finger in Willow's direction, causing Angel to move protectively in front of her. "You saw my tattoo didn't you? That's where you got the idea to use Sakhmet for the incantation…and that's why it burned when you were rescuing him from Hell!"   
  
Angel growled low in his throat, taking a defensive stance in front of the shocked redhead. He didn't like the way this stranger behaved, she could be docile and friendly one minute and then suddenly go on the attack as she was now. Kat growled back at the vampire, feeling justified in her accusations.  
  
Once again the small redhead calmed Angel, grasping his hand she quietly told him, "Sit down Angel, she isn't going to attack me." After a moment Angel backed down, but growled once more in warning before resuming his seat next to the witch. Willow continued, answering the emerald-eyed woman.  
  
"Yes I saw your tattoo, but that isn't the reason I looked to Sakhmet for help. I'd been looking for a way to rescue him almost from the day he…left. It's purely coincidence that I found the website with the right spell after I saw you. We hadn't even met when I found the spell; we'd just seen each other in the bronze. And I don't appreciate having you jump at me like that without reason." After putting the brunette in her place Willow sat back, leaning slightly against Angel.  
  
Before Kat could speak up again Giles decided it was time to regain control of the conversation. "Kat, please sit down, I realize that Willow's spell last night caused you some discomfort…I did see the tattoo on your back glowing as you ran off. I assure you Willow would never have intentionally hurt you."  
  
Still obviously upset, the brunette cast the redhead a dark look before sitting back down. "There are no coincidences…I don't believe in them," she retorted, scowling. 'And with good reason,' she added silently.   
  
Watching Kat fume silently on the couch, Angel frowned, his arm still protectively around the petite witch sitting beside him. An uneasy silence loomed over the group, which he broke as he spoke, directing his question to the hellcat, "Well, we know who you are, and what you are doing in Sunnydale…care to explain why you felt the need the attack me the moment you woke up?" His eyebrow rose questioningly as he looked at her, waiting for a response.  
  
Crossing her arms over her chest, Kat glowered at the vampire for a few moments before replying defensively, "Instinct…you were looming over me, and I sensed you were a predator. Also, I smelled blood and, judging from the state she was in," indicating Willow with her chin, "I assumed you had attacked her." It wasn't entirely the truth, but it was enough to suit her purposes for now. She wasn't about to tell them about her mother, not now anyway.  
  
Angel knew she was holding something back, but he nodded, accepting her answer for the moment. The uneasy silence was resumed until Giles decided it was time to end the discussion. "Does anyone have any more questions that can not wait until another time?" The young women and the vampire all answered in the negative. "Well then, I suggest we adjourn until later, when we've all had some time to sleep and think. We'll get together tomorrow in the library if everyone is available."  
  
Upon hearing the librarians suggestion of sleep a yawn made it's way contagiously around the room. When he'd finished speaking they simultaneously agreed and Giles and Kat got up to leave. Willow decided to stay at the mansion with Angel for the moment, feeling that the vampire might need her comfort once he had time to think more clearly about everything that had transpired.  
  
The redhead walked the others to the door, saying her goodbye's to them both. Before she could shut the door after them Giles stuck his head back in the door. "Willow, I suggest you go and see Xander before we meet tomorrow and warn him about Angel. I don't think I need to remind you of the boys' feelings toward Angel. He isn't going to take this well I imagine. Be prepared for his anger." With that last thought the librarian left the redhead and Angel. When he got to his car, hap hazardously parked in front of the mansion he saw that Kat was already halfway down the driveway. He got in his car and caught up with the girl. "Would you like a ride home Kat? I don't think your feet would appreciate walking home barefoot."  
  
Kat looked down at her bare feet and the dragging hems of the leather pant legs, then back at the librarian. "I don't know that I'd get to the hotel any faster in this thing but thanks, I'll take you up on that offer." She walked around to the passenger side of the car and climbed in. She gave Giles directions to her hotel, then closed her eyes to rest.   
  
Stopping at a set of red lights Giles glanced over at his passenger. ' Poor dear, she has so much to deal with, though she handles her destiny with more grace than Buffy ever did.' The lights changed and Giles drove on. 


	8. Explanations

The following day Kat slowly plodded though the hallways of Sunnydale High, head bowed as if she were on her way to the gallows. The rim of her sunglasses slipped a notch down her nose, forcing the young woman to push them back into place with one dainty finger. Behind the nearly black lenses, bloodshot emerald eyes scanned the empty halls as she made her way to the library.  
  
"WHAT????" The tired brunette's head jerked up as the cry of outrage reverberated down the hallway. Her lips twisted into a mockery of a smile as she recognized the voice behind the frustrated yell: only Xander could yell like that. 'Someone just found out about the vamp's return,' Kat thought dryly as she came to a stop before the closed wooden doors of the library. Cocking her head to the side, she listened as the voices within grew in intensity. 'Can't say I blame him for being mad though.' Recalling the few things Giles had mentioned regarding Angel's actions when he lost his soul, Kat wasn't surprised by the teenager's behaviour. It isn't a pleasant surprise, finding the guy who terrorized your friends has returned…and by the very hand of your best friend.  
  
"Are you nuts? The guy is a vampire; he killed Jenny, and he nearly killed both you and Giles!" Xander's feelings of betrayal could be heard in his voice as he shouted at the redhead. As Willow's voice cut in, Kat detected the note of growing ire that thickened the petite hacker's words.   
  
"I know very well what Angelus did," the emphasis Willow placed on the vampire's demonic version of his name did not escape Kat, "but as I have told you five times already, Angel isn't Angelus! I restored his soul, and he won't hurt any of us!"  
  
"How can you trust him? Christ, he almost killed you when you were doing the spell the first time…if he is evil he'll kill you before you even have a chance to figure out if he is Soul Boy or not!" A desperate pitch lent itself to the young man's voice as he continued, seeming to search for a way to get through to his best friend. "How can you just forget everything he's done to us…to Buffy! She never would have left if it wasn't for him!"  
  
Kat felt pity for the girl, and a strange sense of protectiveness for the young redhead rose inside her as Xander brought up the Slayer's name. "That was low," she murmured, moving forward and pushing the doors open to let herself into the library. Her eyes widened slightly behind her sunglasses as she watched Willow's hand move, smacking Xander across the face. The sound of the slap echoed in the sudden silence in the library like the crack of a whip. For moments afterwards the silence hung over the room like a tomb.   
  
It was Willow who spoke up first; her voice soft with barely repressed rage. "Don't," she began; her voice hoarse with the effort it took to control her emotions, "Don't you dare use Angel to excuse what Buffy did Alexander Harris." The jealousy driven boy flinched as Willow addressed him by his full name, but otherwise did not move as she continued, shaking like a leaf. "Angel can be forgiven for his actions because he couldn't stop the demon; but there is no excuse for what Buffy did. She left us; she abandoned her friends, and her duty…and she never told us!" Tears brimmed in the redhead's eyes, and her breath became shaky as she went on. "She never even told us Xander; she just left. I didn't figure it out until days later, when I began having nightmares about Angel's torment in hell, the reason she ran away."   
  
Xander's eyes widened; her lack of sleep was due to Angel's pain? "Wills I…" he began, only to be cut off as the redhead shook her finger at him. "DON'T! Don't tell me you're sorry, you never even asked me what was wrong. You knew I wasn't sleeping well, but neither you or Giles thought to ask me about it." Tears slid down the redhead's cheeks as she felt her anger slip away, the helpless feelings of despair she had been dealing with for months washing over her. "His pain was my pain Xander; I felt everything he was going through. I couldn't let a friend stay in that place, I just couldn't." Heavily sobbing now, Willow bowed her head, hands coming up to cover her face as her shoulders shook violently.  
  
Watching his friend break down, Xander felt a pang of guilt at causing her fresh pain. His anger dissipating in the face of her tears, he stepped forward, awkwardly putting his arms around the redhead and drawing her to his chest. As Willow latched onto him, her tears soaking his shirt, he rubbed her back silently. It wasn't until he heard the soft sound of someone clearing their throat that he managed to look up…his eyes coming to rest on the dark-haired young woman who leaned against the counter, watching the two of them from behind the rim of darkly-tinted sunglasses.   
  
Her expression void, Kat watched Xander comfort Willow, a thousand questions running through her mind. Not for the first time, she wondered what could have driven a Slayer to abandon her sacred duty, not to mention her friends. A part of her sensed there was more to the whole 'Angel went to hell, so Slayer took a hike' scenario, but she refused to draw any conclusions until she had a chance to wrangle some answers out of the group of people she had come to know in the past few days.   
  
As Xander looked in her direction, she offered him a small smile of sympathy, nodding her head once to indicate she wouldn't interrupt. She sensed the turmoil raging inside the teenager; his need to help his friend versus his desire to see the treacherous vampire pay for everything he had done to them. He was having a tough time accepting everything that was happening; she didn't want to know what would happen if Angel decided to show up…  
  
Suddenly the young woman stiffened, senses on full alert as a familiar scent assailed her nostrils. Her eyes widened behind the dark lenses of her sunglasses, and she swore inwardly at the accursed timing of this unholy place called Sunnydale.  
  
'Guess Xander is going to have a chance to confront his fears sooner than expected,' Kat thought darkly, her gaze travelling to the back of the room. One of the shadows detached itself from the others, slinking along the bookcases silently, hunched over as though keeping as small as possible to avoid detection. As soon as it heard Willow's sniffling it paused, then stepped out of the darkness. A subdued vampire watched the two teenagers in the middle of the room, clearing his throat softly. As Xander and Willow pulled apart, gasping in surprise, he glanced at the redhead's tear-stained face, concern etched into his features.  
  
"What is going on here little one?" While his words were directed at Willow, his eyes shifted over to Xander, irritation over the source of the petite hacker's sobs warring with the anxiety he felt at seeing the young man once more. There was no love lost between the two of them, and if Xander's face was any indication, he hadn't yet forgiven the vampire for his actions as Angelus.  
  
Silently Kat watched as Xander moved in front of Willow, shielding her body from Angel as he confronted the vampire. Curiosity aroused, the young woman watched with one eyebrow raised as Angel stood still, his whole body slumped as if he held the guilt of the world on his shoulders.   
  
"What do you think you're doing here?!" Xander spat out, moving forward before Willow could recover from her shock. Ignoring Willow's cry behind him, the young man rushed the vampire, pushing Angel hard enough to cause the vampire to stumble backwards. "No one invited you Dead Boy!"  
  
Kat started forward, her mouth parted to say something, when a voice rang out from behind her. "That's enough!" All eyes turned and regarded Giles' solemn face as he stormed into the library. Spying Xander with his hands on the front of Angel's shirt, his face distorted by rage, Giles sighed and wiped his face with one hand. "Xander, kindly release him; I invited Angel here today so that we might discuss certain…events…that have occurred in the past few days," Giles trailed off, his eyes skimming over Willow and Kat briefly before returning to the irate teenager.   
  
With great difficulty Xander managed to release Angel, who glanced at the young man briefly before lowering his gaze, seeking out Willow's. As the redhead came forward he reached for her hand, seeking comfort in her tiny presence. Squeezing his hand slightly, the tiny young woman pulled him towards the table, ignoring the glares Xander sent their way. Mutely Kat followed, seating herself beside the angry brunette and leaning back, her arms crossed over her chest as she regarded the rest of the occupants from behind her shades.  
  
As the group settled down at the table Angel, with a prompting squeeze of his hand from Willow, spoke first. "Hey guys. Giles…Xander…," he nodded his head at both men, noting how one stiffened slightly, while the other one continued to glare openly at him. Nervously he moved on, his eyes settling on the still silent brunette who sat beside Xander. A slight smile touched his lips as he tilted his head at Kat, "Hellcat…good to see you again." His smile widened as the young woman's lips pursed together in a frown, stopping only when Willow shot him a warning glance. He couldn't resist antagonizing her however; her punches still fresh in his mind…and on his body. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"  
  
Bristling, Kat struggled inwardly to keep her temper under control. Outwardly she smirked, sticking her dainty tongue out at Angel. "Bite me Dead Boy," she taunted, her voice dripping with sweetness.  
  
"With pleasure," he nearly purred in response, a hint of fangs glinting as he half-leered at her.  
  
"Enough!" Giles exhaled loudly, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Would you two stop acting like children for just one moment? We have more important things to discuss here, or have you forgotten about Willow's little spell? Or the other matter, regarding Kat's timely arrival in Sunnydale?" When neither Angel nor Kat spoke for several moments, Giles continued. "Now…" Pausing, the librarian gestured to the dark-haired girl sitting beside Xander, who was still hiding behind a pair of sunglasses. "Do take those silly things off…this room is already dreadfully dark, and I hate talking to those bloody things almost as much as I hate computers."  
  
Frowning, the young woman nodded and reluctantly took the sunglasses off, placing them in front of her on the table. "Better?" She glanced up at the librarian for a moment before returning her gaze to the tabletop, staring at the pair of sunglasses in order to avoid looking directly at anyone.  
  
"Uh yes, quite," the British man murmured, readjusting his glasses on his nose as he glanced at each of the table's occupants. "Now…are there any questions regarding certain…recent events?" Seeing Xander open his mouth, he quickly added, "any questions not of a malicious nature?" As the young man scowled and shook his head, Giles sighed. "Then allow me to start. Kat, you mentioned something about not believing in coincidences. I too find the connection between your arrival here in Sunnydale and Willow's foray into Hell to be more than a little suspect. Can you tell us anything of the dreams you've been having lately?"  
  
Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, eyes firmly fixed on the sunglasses on the table, Kat replied reluctantly, "All I can remember are two of them." Carefully she omitted one of her nightmares from the list. "The first one, the one that brought me to Sunnydale, I think pretty much already came true…" Frowning, she paused, lost in thought as she pondered the dream. "I could see a full moon, dripping with blood. Hair floated in the blood, hair so red that at first the blood obscured it from view." Glancing up quickly, her eyes sought the petite hacker, noting that her pallor had become alarmingly white. She was fairly certain it had been a warning, a warning that she hadn't been able to stop in time. Now all she had to go from was her second dream, and that one made her insides clench painfully.   
  
Willow clutched Angel's hand for support and spoke up, "How did you know your dream meant me? I remember the look you gave me that first night at the bronze, you knew then didn't you? That I was the red-haired person from your dream." Trying to calm herself, the young witch took several deep breaths. She'd known bringing Angel back was going to cause a ruckus, but she didn't think there would be this much trouble. "I didn't know per say that you were the person in my dream, but you have to admit your hair color does kind of stand out." Twisting her lips into a wry smile, the dark-haired young woman sighed, then shrugged. "I had to find out."  
  
"And your second dream?" The redheaded hacker shivered, the back of her neck prickling with unease as she continued to watch the brunette sitting across from her. She had a sudden feeling she didn't want to know the answer to her own question. Even the comforting feeling of Angel's hand squeezing hers did little to quell the rising anxiety inside.  
  
For many long minutes Kat didn't speak; she just stared off into space, her face void of any emotion. When she spoke, her voice seemed detached, distant, "A horrible battle, some dark lab or room. I'm fighting off a vampire, and I hear this clicking sound behind me…" her words fell from her lips with little effort, surprisingly full of detail. "There's a crossbow leveled in my direction. I can't hear anything…it's as if all time has stopped. The crossbow fires and I move to try and get out of its path. Only I'm moving to get directly in front of the arrow. The next thing I know, I feel a burning sensation, and I'm falling backwards. It gets so dark…"  
  
A shudder rippled over her body, her hands clutching the chair as she fought to control her emotions. "Combined with the dream for the full moon, that led me to Sunnydale." Blinking rapidly, she raised her head, and for a moment everyone could see her eyes: they were bloodshot as if from a lack of sleep. Chuckling softly, she shook her head. "Somehow, I doubt that dream will be of any use to you Giles."   
  
Giles leaned back in his seat, contemplating the situation. Kats' dreams sounded suspiciously like Buffy's prophetic dreams. From his experience as a watcher he knew that it was extremely rare for anyone other than a slayer to receive dreams such as these. There were of course people who had been born with second sight, who received visions of things yet to come. Angels own childe Drusilla was such a person. But the watcher thought that the brunettes' dreams were likely a connection with the goddess who'd cursed her family.   
  
He was about to ask the girl if perhaps, her mother had had such dreams when Xander, who'd been quiet up until now, interrupted as usual, at the most inappropriate time. The boy had been sitting quietly, glaring across the table at Angel, but now his focus was directed on the watcher and Giles knew he'd bear the brunt of the young mans anger.  
  
"Giles how the hell can you be taking this so well?" Xander asked, rather loudly. "I don't understand how you can sit here calmly discussing dreams of all things, when the monster that killed your girlfriend, tortured you, and tried to kill all of us is sitting right there!" Xander was ranting, full of righteous anger and indignation. The boy firmly believed Angel was responsible for everything that wasn't right with his world and he didn't have the maturity to handle the emotional storm raging inside him.  
  
Surprisingly, it was Angel that calmed the teen down. The vampire stood up and walked a few steps around the table towards Xander, saying "Control yourself boy! Stop yelling at Giles. It's me you're angry with, not him so if you have to take it out on anyone, take it out on me. God knows I deserve it." The souled vampire now stood directly in front of the irate boy, looking him straight in the eye, fully prepared to accept his wrath.  
  
Confronted with the source of his fury, looking deep into those gold-flecked orbs, Xander deflated. Angel's eyes truly were the windows to his soul, and the boy could see every emotion the vampire had in them. The mahogany depths showed a maelstrom of emotions tightly controlled. Sorrow, grief, and guilt swirled at the forefront. Xander realized that Angel was allowing him to see this, and was prepared to take the blame for anything Xander wanted to push off on him. But the boy couldn't do it. He knew that, while Angel was responsible for some of the grief he felt, most of his anger was directed at himself.   
  
The vampire must have seen the play of emotions flicker across Xander's face, because he leaned closer, whispering so only the boy could hear, "you couldn't have changed anything Xander, don't feel guilty for not trying."   
  
Angel backed away, and Xander fell back into his seat. Quietly he spoke up, directing his words at the stunned librarian. "I'm sorry for yelling at you Giles. Deadboy's right, you're not the one I'm mad at." He lowered his gaze to the table, unable to look anyone in the eye after his outburst.   
  
"Yes uh…" Giles stuttered, amazement etched in his features as he watched Angel walk away from a more subdued Xander. It wasn't until the vampire sat down beside Willow again that the watcher managed to recover his wits. "Kat, did your mother by any chance have prophetic dreams?" As the young woman shook her head, he pressed, "Are you sure?"  
  
Exhaustion fueled the brunette's frustration at Giles's in inquiry into her dreams. Jaw set, her eyes darkened to near black as she ground out, "If she did, it sure didn't help her much now did it?" Watching the hurt look that crossed the librarian's features, Kat sighed heavily. One hand came up to rub at her face tiredly before she began again. "I'm sorry Giles, I must be even more tired than I thought." Her statement caused him to look closer at the poor girl in front of him: she was on the verge of collapse. It wasn't just her bloodshot eyes that alarmed him, she seemed on the verge of losing her cool. From his initial impressions of the girl, she wasn't the sort to easily 'wig out' as Xander liked to say. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and the wear and tear was getting to her.  
  
Moving around the table, Giles touched Kat on the shoulder, causing her to look up at him in question. "We don't have to figure this all out right now. Why don't you get some rest?"  
  
Softly the young woman smiled, her lips curving ever so slightly. "Thanks. I'm going to need it for tonight," her words recalling the terrible family curse she suffered to the minds of at least three of the other people in the room. Giles and Willow looked at the quiet young woman, sympathy obvious on their faces.  
  
"If you wouldn't mind cramped spaces, you can lay down in my office, or I have a cot in the back that might be more to your liking." As Kat glanced at Giles, a questioning look in her eyes, he added, "I'd just as soon you stayed here for a bit Kat. We could discuss your…problem…and perhaps a temporary solution for tonight." The thought of a rogue panther running loose on the streets of Sunnydale made Giles as uneasy as the thought of Angelus reappearing.  
  
After agreeing, Kat chose to sleep in Giles' office, preferring the idea of some measure of privacy with a closed door as opposed to some cot in back. Softly mumbling her goodnights, the young woman walked away from the table, missing the looks of sympathy from Giles and Willow.  
  
The watcher and girl weren't the only ones who felt for the catlike young woman. Angel stared after her as she left the room, his eyes noting how tired and strained her movements were. Seeing the fierce woman so disheartened softened the vampires' heart to her, though he was still smarting from their earlier altercation. He couldn't find it in him to hate the girl, if he'd been in her position he probably would've done the same. Angel still didn't like the brunette, her guarded attitude put him off, but a small voice inside him said that given time he might just like her quite a bit.   
  
As the door shut on the office, Xander stirred out of his quiet trance. A frown of puzzlement slipping into place, the young teenager glanced at the office door, then across the table at the other three people. When he spoke up, his voice was tinged with confusion, "What's going to happen tonight?"  
  
Willow glanced between Giles and Xander, indicating to the watcher that he should fill the boy in on Kat's circumstances. Willow sat down behind her computer and booted it up. The redhead had found some interesting stuff on Egypt during her searches that she hadn't had a chance to fully examine yet, and she figured now would be as good a time as any to have a look at the bookmarked pages.  
  
Angel remained sitting quietly at the research table while Giles explained to Xander about Kats condition. Both the vampire and the librarian were surprised when the boy's only reaction was to lick his index finger and make a motion like drawing a line on a chalkboard. The vampire couldn't resist asking the meaning of the motion. "Just tallying up my score Deadboy. So far I'm five and oh on the women I'm attracted to. Every single one has had something strange about her. Just call me Xander…weirdness detector." But the boy was smiling as he said this, and when he thought back Angel had to agree with the teen, he did tend to attract the strange ones.  
  
Willow called Giles over to look at something she'd found on one of the sites she was browsing, it seemed to the redhead to be part of a prophecy. "Giles my latin isn't very good, what does this say?" the petite girl asked, looking over her shoulder at the watcher.  
Giles leaned in closer and translated the three lines on the screen. "I believe it says 'Fang and talon, devil and daemon, summoned near by witch's power, shall meet under full moon's light.' Willow is there any more to this?" The lines sounded like prophecy to him, and it sounded suspiciously close to what was happening to them now.  
  
"Sorry Giles, those three lines are all that's listed." The young witch responded, shaking her head. Willows' thoughts were running the same course as her mentors. "I'll see if I can find anything else, if you want?"  
  
As his little friend and the librarian continued their conversation Angel turned his attention to the strange noises coming from Giles office where the hellcat was sleeping. His sensitive hearing picked up soft whimpering and restless shifting noises. Curiosity piqued, the vampire rose and walked quietly to the office to check on the girl. He opened the door silently and peeked in. Seeing the brunette was asleep, the vampire entered.   
  
Kat was sleeping curled up on her side facing him. Most people look peaceful in slumber, but the woman on the couch looked anything but. Her sweet face was drawn, and worry lines marred her forehead. Her lush, full lips were drawn tightly in a frown. 'Poor girl.' Angel thought, 'What secrets are you keeping, and why are your dreams so troubled.' The souled vampire left the room as quietly as he had entered, missing the young woman's lip as they began to move, trembling as if pleading with some unseen foe. He also failed to notice her head roll about, hair falling away from her neck to reveal an ugly pale scar…the kind of scar made by a vampire bite. 


	9. Confrontations

Nothing. For over a week Willow had been looking for any information regarding Kat, Egyptian curses, and that weird bit of prophecy that they had come across, and so far she hadn't found anything useful. Frowning, the tiny redhead pushed away from her laptop in disgust, leaning back in her chair to stare out her balcony doors. Her emerald gaze turned pensive as her thoughts focused on another disturbing problem: Angel. Ever since the meeting in the library he had secluded himself in the mansion. Several times the hacker had tried to stop by, offering food or someone to talk to, but he had met her attempts with polite refusals and subtly, but firmly, made it clear he didn't want her around.  
  
The idea that maybe she had somehow made the vampire mad saddened the redhead. As she stared off into space she nibbled on her lower lip worriedly. The rest of the group aside, she was the only one who had gone by to visit the souled vampire. Everyone else, while coming to terms with the idea of Angel being alive, were not so eager to become bosom buddies with him. She didn't like the idea of him being all alone in that mansion, with no friends, because he wouldn't accept her overtures toward friendship.  
  
So caught up was she in her dark musings that Willow didn't hear the pounding on the door downstairs, or the voice that called out from below. It wasn't until she felt a slight touch on her shoulder that the tiny woman reacted, shrieking and twisting as she tried to stand…all of which caused the poor redhead to get tangled up in her chair and fell backwards on her bedroom floor. Closing her eyes, Willow tensed for an attack. When none came, she cautiously rolled over, cracking one eye open to gaze up at her assailant.  
  
Green eyes twinkled down in amusement at the hacker, eyes that shifted between light and dark colors. Lips curved into a half smile, and the young woman standing over her leaned against her chair with both arms, one eyebrow raised questioningly at the redhead's strange antics.   
  
"I take it you didn't hear me come up," Kat murmured as she watched Willow lay on the floor, her lips twitching once more with the urge to grin as the redhead shot her a murderous glare. Pretending to ignore the deadly threat in the other woman's eyes, Kat plunged on nonchalantly, her voice low as she spoke. "I knocked on the door, but you never answered. I knew you were supposed to be home, so I came on up to see if you were still alive."   
  
Upon seeing the brunette in her room, the proverbial light bulb turned on in Willows head. Kat could be the answer to her 'Angel' problem. A truly evil glint in the redhead's eye went unnoticed by the werecat. Bolting up off the floor the elfin girl launched herself at her new friend, closing arms around her neck and hugging the startled woman tightly.   
  
"Kat! I'm so glad you're here; you can help me with my problem! I've been trying to figure out what to do, and then you show up and now everything will be ok…" her babbling voice trailed off as Kat pushed her back slightly, regarding the other young woman with one raised eyebrow.   
  
"Whoa! Slow down there…what problem?" She was still smiling when she noticed the serious look that crossed the redhead's features. 'Whatever the problem it, it must be serious to disturb her so,' Kat mused, her expression becoming one of concern. "What's wrong?"   
  
'Oh boy, how do I explain' Willow thought desperately to herself. Deciding to just say it, she gushed out her dilemma, 'I'mworriedaboutAngel. Hedoesn'ttalktome, hewon'tletmecomeover,andIthinkheisbackinbroodmode. Couldyougotalktohim?"  
  
Staring at Willow, Kat forced herself to breathe. Even after knowing Willow for a few weeks, she still could not get used to the other girl's remarkable talent of condensing a one-minute speech into five seconds. As her brain tried to decipher the babbling that was 'Willowspeak' Kat took a closer look at her new friend. Over the past week the brunette had let down her defenses a little and allowed the young redhead to know her on a more personal level. Right now her little friend was worried, her sprightly green eyes troubled and her shoulders hunched in dejection. 'This tiny thing is one of those people you'd do anything for, because you know she'd do anything for you.' Kat thought, smiling. Her brain finally figured out what Willow had been babbling about. "You want me to do WHAT?" The brunette asked, a slightly hysterical edge to her voice.  
  
"Kat please, let me explain…" Willow began, but the other woman made a slashing gesture with her arm, eyes blazing as the hacker fell silent.  
  
"Are. You. Insane?" the brunette ground out through her teeth, her eyes a dark emerald she glared at Willow. Her arms gesturing crazily in the air, the angry woman began to pace, ranting as she went. "You want me to go to that…that vamp's house…and comfort him?" Seeing the other girl nod slightly, she fumed. "Willow, he hates me, and frankly I'm not too fond of him either!" Still pacing, she added, "Why can't you just go over there yourself? I mean you're the only one so far who has any influence on him."  
  
"Because," Willow whispered, hugging herself as she answered, "Because he doesn't want me around." The tremor in her voice caused the dark-haired young woman to freeze, dark eyes seeking out emerald ones. Watching Willow's eyes cloud up with self-doubt and worry, Kat's hatred for the vampire grew. Closing her own flickering orbs, the brunette cursed the day he had been brought back from Hell. Dammit, but Willow didn't deserve to be hurt when all she was trying to do was to help someone in pain. He could go back to hell for all she cared, and she was about to tell the redhead these very words when she made the mistake of opening her eyes.  
  
Tears filled the redhead's eyes, threatening to spill over as she gazed beseechingly at the other young woman. Her lower lip trembled and her shoulders slumped, crimson hair falling forward to obscure part of her face, though not enough to keep Kat from seeing the myriad of emotions playing across the hacker's face.  
  
'Christ, she looks like a kicked puppy,' the brunette growled silently, whirling around so her back was to the redhead. Hands clenching so tight the knuckles turned white, Kat debated and weighed her options carefully. Minutes seemed to stretch out into hours, and still they stood in the middle of Willow's room, silent as their thoughts reeled heavily. Slowly Kat opened her eyes, staring at the wall as she gave Willow her quiet reply.  
  
"I'll do it," the brunette's words were low, her voice hoarse from the effort it took to reign in her temper, but they cracked through the room like a whip, causing Willow to gasp in shock. Blinking her tears back rapidly, the redhead smiled in relief, taking a step forward to thank Kat. She froze as the other woman turned her head, nearly black eyes fixing the hacker to the spot in surprise. Red fire seemed to blaze from the depths as her lip curled in a near snarl, causing a tinge of fear to spread through Willow's body. "Don't thank me!" the werewoman hissed, storming out the door before another word could be spoken.  
  
Willow stared at the open bedroom door, shock and fear coursing through her veins, until she heard the front door slam downstairs. Her knees buckling, the redhead sat down on the edge of her bed in a rush, her mouth still partly open as she took deep, ragged breaths. Her hands gripped the bedcover tightly as she bent forward, closing her eyes.  
  
'Dear Goddess, what have I done?" the hacker lamented silently. "She'll kill him!"  
  
* * * * * * * *   
On the other side of town, Angel was oblivious to the storm brewing in his direction. Slouched down in his leather couch, the souled vampire sat in darkness, staring at the flames within his fireplace. One arm propped up by the couch, his fingers to his temple, the dark-haired vampire sighed heavily. The emptiness stretched out before him like a tomb, causing a sharp pang of loneliness.   
  
Almost immediately the image of a cheerful redhead swam behind his eyes, as if answering his silent plea for companionship. Scowling, Angel closed his eyes, willing the image to go away with some difficulty. He couldn't, wouldn't think about Willow right now. Friendship such as hers should never be bestowed on a creature as despicable as he.  
  
As Willow's face wavered, then faded from his mind, Angel tried to think of something, anything other than the kind redhead who had tried repeatedly to give him her friendship over the past week. Unbidden another person took her place: the same delicate features, set in an altogether darker, more alluring face. The vampire's scowl deepened further as his memory produced every detail of the mysterious hellcat's face.   
  
'Invasive little kitten,' he mused darkly, pondering his volatile reaction to the dark beauty. Her abrupt manners with him every time they met left him rather annoyed, and yet there was a part of him that sympathized with the tiny woman. Certainly she seemed to have suffered through something tragic in her past, something that struck a chord in the ensouled vampire.  
  
The sound of a board creaking under someone's foot drew the vampire out of his brooding. Standing and whirling around to face the trespasser, Angel was completely unprepared to see Kat standing in the doorway, as if summoned by his thoughts. One eyebrow rose as he regarded the deadly crossbow she had leveled at him…certainly he hadn't imagined this situation. Nor had he anticipated the dark look she was giving him, dark emerald orbs tinged with deadly red fire. 'Strange, she looks ready to kill.' As he waited for her to move, his mind swamped with questions, the dark-haired woman spoke.  
  
"You have five seconds to give me one good reason not to shoot you where you stand Dead Boy."   
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
'Correction…kitten already has my tombstone carved,' Angel noted dryly, gauging her actions cautiously, his face expressionless as he eyed her slender finger and the crossbow trigger that lay beneath it. Chocolate orbs moved upward, taking in the determinedly angry expression on the young woman's face. Apparently he wasn't responding fast enough for her, for her eyes narrowed, a hissing sound escaping her lush lips.  
  
"Well?" she demanded impatiently, "aren't you going to answer me?"  
  
"I would if I knew what the question was." His voice was smooth, belying the nervous way his eyes darted back to the crossbow repeatedly. It took much effort for him not to flinch as he watched her finger tighten almost imperceptibly on the trigger. "What do you want to know?" He kept his voice soft, hoping to soothe the hellcat enough to find out what was going on…and not get staked in the process.  
  
Kat eyed the hulking vampire warily. Though he was still weak from his inter-dimensional vacation the brunette knew he would be a formidable opponent if he decided to attack her. She cocked her dark head, glaring daggers at him as she responded. "I want to know why I shouldn't kill you for upsetting and worrying Willow. She likes you for some reason and you're tearing her up inside by refusing her friendship."   
  
Kat paused to take in his expression before continuing. The pain reflected in those mahogany orbs almost made her feel sorry for the vampire, but she persisted in her rant. "Now I haven't known Wills very long, but it seems to me that a friendship like hers only comes along once in a lifetime, or several in your case. She risked her life for you, twice if I'm remembering right. She saved your goddamn soul and then risked untold tortures to bring you out of hell and what do you do to thank her? You turn your back and tell her to leave you to your misery. Well fuck that! You're either gonna give me a good explanation to take back to that girl, or you're gonna get acquainted with the wrong end of this crossbow. Take your pick."  
  
Angel bowed his head as Kat's angry words washed over him, his shoulders slumping with the weight of his guilt. He never meant to hurt Willow. He just couldn't look at her and not see another person staring back. It was the eyes, those horrible, trusting eyes. They reminded him of all he had lost long ago…by his own hand.  
  
Gradually the guilt-ridden vampire became aware of the silence that clung to the room. Eyes closing, he sighed, sensing Kat was waiting for his explanation. "I…never meant to hurt her," he responded softly, keeping his eyes on the floor as he spoke, refusing to look up at the protective woman who stood before him. "I just…I can't face her." He paused, waiting for Kat to make some comment. When she remained silent however he continued, his words spilling forth in an anguished rasp as he closed his eyes. "She trusts me. After all I've done to them, to her, she still trusts me. I see it every time I look in her eyes, or see her smile. She trusts me…just like my sister did all those years ago."   
  
Raising his head, he opened his eyes, laying his soul bare before the other woman. "Don't you understand!" he shouted, "I look at her, and I see my sister all over again! I see her reaching out to me, trusting me completely. Never once would it enter her mind that her big brother would hurt her, or that he'd kill her, Mother, and Father. Drain them dry. Not her big brother…never his kind friend Willow." Dark, bitter eyes locked onto shocked emerald ones, Angel continued, his voice straining with emotion. "I can't take it kitten. I can't accept the forgiveness in her eyes. It's like having my sister forgive me for killing her."  
  
Kat stared openly at the vampire who bared his soul to her, her mouth parted in surprise. 'My god, he sees Willow as the little sister he killed.' The depth of anguish in his eyes as he looked at the brunette had her holding her breath in dazed wonderment; reeling from the guilt he carried so close to his heart. As his eyes slowly slid off hers back to the ground, she let out her breath in one hiss of air.  
  
'He's really torn up over this,' she realized, watching the tremor that shook his shoulders as he let his guilt overwhelm him. 'Damn but I don't want to feel bad for him.' But she couldn't help herself, because she knew how guilt, whether deserved or no, could eat a person alive inside. Chewing on her lower lip, a nervous trait she unconsciously picked up from her petite hacker friend, Kat pondered what to do next.  
  
'I could just leave him, tell Willow why he is avoiding her.' But that idea didn't sit when with the brunette. Willow was bound to rush over to console Angel, and in the state he was in seeing her would only compound the problem, good intentions aside. Grimly Kat came to only one conclusion, but it was even less appealing to her. 'It's the only thing that would work though,' she mused, slowing lowering the crossbow. Setting it down on the floor, the brunette steeled herself mentally and cautiously took a step forward. When the morose vampire didn't move or raise his head she moved closer, stopping a few inches away from him. As she cocked her head to the side, a wave of sympathy for the dark-haired vampire rose inside her, to be squashed by grim determination.  
  
'This has to be done,' she told herself, seeing him begin to stir out of his dark brooding. As he began to lift his head she raised her arm.  
  
He didn't see her hand until it was too late.   
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
CRACK! The speed of the slap had Angel stumbling backwards in shock. Covering his already throbbing cheek with one hand the dumbfounded vampire gaped at Kat as she glared at him, eyes conveying a look of disgust and anger.  
  
"You fucking coward!" The hurt look that crossed the vampire's features as she cursed him made the werecat feel lower than dirt. She hated to do this, hated to add physical pain to the mental anguish he was already suffering, but he needed this shock. Much like slapping a hysterical woman in order to stop her from screaming, shock could help someone in the bowels of despair crawl back out of the shadows. And so Kat kept her face from revealing any of her sympathies as she leaned forward, jabbing one dainty finger into the vampire's t-shirt clad chest. Hard. Shaking her dark head at the confounded vampire Kat ranted, getting right into his face.   
  
"So you're afraid to be forgiven is that it? You've been around what two and a half centuries now? You've seen all the atrocities this world has to offer and you choose the forgiveness of one tiny girl to be afraid of? Man, that's just stupid. You're acting like forgiveness is a reward to be granted. It's not. Forgiveness is something given freely not because someone deserves it, but because they need it."  
  
If the slap hadn't shocked Angel, the hellcat's ranting sure did. He didn't want to hear her words, because they made more sense than he cared to admit. Still, her voice had him spellbound: he had no choice but to listen, wide-eyed as she continued. "Look, I know you feel bad about all the things you've done, and that's good. That's what separates you from the monsters. But you're blowing it out of proportion here. Your grief and guilt are keeping you from doing anything that might make you feel better."   
  
Kat wasn't finished talking, but some of the anger had drained out of her voice. Taking Angel's arm, she gently but firmly dragged him to the sofa, pushing him down to sit before taking a seat opposite him. When she continued her voice was more subdued, but no less compelling. "If you can't think of forgiveness as anything but something to be earned, then go out and earn it. You'll never get anywhere sitting here in the dark, that's for sure. Do you know that, despite not having any sort of super powers, Willow and Xander patrol the park and cemeteries every night? How are you going to feel if one or both of them die out there when you could've saved them, if only you'd been fighting beside them instead of sitting here brooding about a past you cant change?"  
  
The last sentence made Angel's head jerk up, dark orbs meeting Kat's serious emerald ones. He hadn't known the kids had taken over patrols. He hadn't even been able to bring himself to lurk in the shadows, watching the group as he had done in the past, since he'd been back. Knowing she'd gotten through to the vampire Kat decided to push just a little more, to make sure Angel would stop acting like an idiot.   
  
"Go out there and make an effort Angel," knowing her use of his name would make sure he paid attention. Her lips curved into a slight smile, which she offered him as she continued. "I think you'll find it's worth the trouble. You don't have to suffer alone and in silence. You've got friends, and I know Willow would be beyond thrilled to have you around. And if you had nothing in this world but that little redhead's friendship, you'd be the luckiest creature in existence, and that's a fact. Think about it."  
  
Rising up from her seat, Kat gave Angel one last look before heading for the door, pausing only to pick up her crossbow. A little embarrassed at the length and depth of her lecture, the brunette was too lost in thought to hear the whispered 'thank you kitten' that trailed after her.   
  
Minutes ticked away, and still Angel remained sitting in the living room, staring into space as Kat's words echoed in his mind. 'She's right,' he admitted to himself, shaking his head to clear it of the paralyzing effect her rant had on him. 'I can't hide from my problems, I need to face them.' His lips twisted as he thought about how right the hellcat had been, only to flinch slightly as his cheek reminded him just how she had gotten her point across. Gingerly he touched his cheek, stroking it as he thought about what to do next.  
  
'Wait a minute…didn't she say they went patrolling at night?' Glancing up at the clock over his mantle, Angel noted that the sun had set nearly an hour ago. They would probably be heading out the cemetery as soon as the hellcat caught up with them. Standing up, the dark-haired vampire went in search of his favorite black jacket. 'Can't let them have all the fun,' he thought as he headed for the front door.  
  
Just as he was leaving the mansion, an errant thought wormed its way into his head. This time his cheek didn't throb as much as his lips turned upward, forming a slight smile as he contemplated this new curiosity.  
  
'I wonder how good the kitten is with her claws.' 


	10. Scars

Kat wanted to scream in frustration as she barely dodged yet another crossbow bolt which was sent wildly in her direction. Growling, she ducked under the arm of the vampire she was fighting, using its confusion at the bolt to slip into its defenses. As she jerked the stake out of its chest it exploded into dust, swirling about her in the wind as she turned to face her 'other' attacker. Gnashing her teeth, she glared at the tall brunette who had nearly ended her life.  
  
"Cordelia," she started, sweetness dripping from her mouth as she advanced on the poor girl. "Next time, would you mind aiming for a vampire that ISN'T so close to Xander or me!" She was sorely tempted to send the annoying cheerleader back to Hawaii or Mexico or wherever her parents had taken her for summer vacation. She fought with spirit, certainly, but so far she had nearly killed Kat at least five times…and the evening was young.  
  
"Well excuuuuse me Miss Fur Rubbed the Wrong Way, but I told you I haven't handled a crossbow before!" Flinging her dark locks over her shoulder, she glared right back at Kat. "It's not like there's an archery class available in this town!"  
  
Nervously watching Kat's eyes darken, Xander intercepted the cheerleader before the werecat's twitching hands found something to do…like choke the life out of someone. "Cordy," he began, clearing his throat as he placed one hand on the crossbow, the other on her shoulder. "It just takes some getting used to. I know!" he grinned as inspiration struck, "just think of the vampires we aren't fighting as the latest in high fashion. You should be able to zero in on them then!"  
  
Willow bit back a groan as Xander's wacky idea was met with shrieks of outrage. As Cordelia focused the full scope of her anger on her somewhat boyfriend, the redheaded hacker sidled closer to Kat. Hoping to defuse at least one end of the tension in the group, she cleared her throat and asked tentatively, "So, um, did you and Angel have a good talk?" As the brunette's eyes turned to glare at Willow she plunged on nervously. "You didn't kill him right, cause that would be a bad thing since I haven't entirely recovered from bringing him back from hell and I don't think I could go through those dreams…"  
  
"Willow," interrupting the babbling redhead before she really got into the swing of things, Kat sighed, her eyes losing some of their hard edge. "I talked to him." After a moment of silence from the tiny hacker, Kat continued reluctantly. "He's not mad at you Wills. He just has to work some things out." She didn't know how Willow would have reacted to Angel's comments about the connection between his sister and her.  
  
Her small smile blooming into a radiant grin, Willow threw herself into Kat's arms, giving her friend a grateful hug. "Thank you for not staking him! And for talking to him, cause I know you didn't really want to. I'm sure you helped a lot!" Kat didn't think so, but she kept her comments to herself, hugging the redhead back briefly before extracting herself as gracefully as she could. Friends they may be, but the brunette wasn't used to anyone invading her personal space…especially as often as Willow liked to hug people.  
  
A small sound reached Kat just then, causing her to turn abruptly. Her nose wrinkled a little as it confirmed a vampire as the source of the noise. Placing herself in front of Willow, she concentrated on seeking the demon out. Just as she noticed movement in the shadows it stepped forward, arms raised in a sign for surrender. A groan escaped her lips as the vampire came into full view, amusement flickering briefly in his chocolate eyes.  
  
"Don't shoot," Angel said, his eyes glancing over to the still fighting couple before coming back to rest on the two petite young women before him. Kat stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face, while Willow darted past the brunette, launching herself into the vampire at full tilt.  
  
"Angel!" the redhead cried out in joy, causing Xander and Cordy to halt and look over at the trio. "I'm so glad you came!" As Willow pulled away to look up at the vampire, a look of confusion crossed her features. "But how did you know where we would be, cause you haven't been patrolling with us, you haven't even been by the library I was so worried about you and…" her stream of babble was silenced by a finger to her lips.  
  
"I was…tied up Little One," Angel explained, not wanting to worry his friend and have her know why he had been so miserable lately. "I didn't mean to worry you." Touching her nose lightly, he offered her something of a smile. "I'm here because Kat suggested it actually," raising his eyes to glance over at the werecat, who blinked in confusion.   
  
"I did?" Frowning, Kat couldn't remember when she had suggested that Angel seek them out tonight for patrol. Then again, she had said so much to the vampire that she wasn't entirely sure what she told him. Fortunately Xander, who even now was coming over with Cordelia's hand tucked into his own, spared her from having to comment further.  
  
"Hey Dea…ah…Angel," Xander greeted the vampire, wincing as Cordelia crushed his hand in warning. "You come to patrol with us, or just do the lurking thing?"  
  
"Actually, I was thinking about helping you guys out…that is, if you'll have me?" His slight smile faltered as his doubts and self-consciousness surfaced. Briefly he wondered if the time was right for him to ask to join their group, but Willow put a stop to that before he could slip back into brood mode.  
  
"Of course!" the redhead bubbled, grinning at Angel, then the rest of the startled group. "This is great, that means we can cover more ground. Xander, Cordelia, and I can search in one direction, and you and Kat can go the other way." The idea greatly pleased Willow, because it separated Kat and Cordelia, which might prevent any possible   
'accidental' homicides as a result of another misfired crossbow bolt.  
  
"I don't think," Kat began, only to be overruled by at least two other people present. Cordelia was all for anything that would get her as far away from the feral brunette as possible, and Xander wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of patrolling with Angel, no matter how friendly he tried to sound. Thus it was that she found herself searching the south end of the cemetery with a souled vampire who was probably about as thrilled with the idea as she was.  
  
* * * * * * * * *   
"Great, just great," she muttered under her breath, one dainty hand tightening painfully around the stake she held. "I'm traipsing around the cemetery with a vampire to watch my back, while the High School Vampire Slaying Club goes merrily off to get themselves killed. More than likely by that Cheerleader from Hell." Lost in her personal rant, Kat jumped when Angel placed a hand on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at him, noting the serious look on his face. "What?"  
  
Clearing his throat, Angel let his hand slip from her shoulder. His voice was soft as he spoke. "I just wanted to thank you. For what you did today." His eyes held hers as he continued. "I know you didn't want to be there…"  
  
"It's nothing," Kat replied curtly, uncomfortable with how serious he was being. Not to mention his sincerity. Taking a step back to get the vampire out of her personal space, she shrugged lightly. "I was just helping a friend."  
  
Angel stared at the young woman for a moment, trying to understand her reaction to his thanks. He wasn't sure why she was so uncomfortable with appreciation; he had seen her talk with Willow, and knew that while she seemed much friendlier with the redhead, she still avoided becoming too emotional. 'Looks like I'm not the only one who closes myself off,' he thought, his gaze questioning on the brunette as she looked away, scanning the area in a pretense of patrol. He was about to comment on it when she stiffened, nostrils flaring in warning.  
  
"We've got company," she stated flatly as two vampires materialized in front of the pair: big brutes with more muscle than brain. One of them leered at Kat's black clad body, its eyes trailing up her hip-hugging pants and tight top as she growled. Licking its lips, the lecherous vampire launched itself at the brunette, while its friend was diverted by a suddenly vamped out Angel.  
  
Unable to spare a glance at Kat to see how she was doing in her fight, Angel whirled under the muscle-bound vampire's arms, slamming his elbow into his opponent's abdomen. As it staggered back he reached behind his back, pulling a stake out of the lining of his black jacket. Hissing, the vampire moved, rushing Angel wildly. Sidestepping the vampire in one fluid motion, he twisted his upper body, slamming the piece of wood into the other vampire's chest before it could slow its velocity. Dust whipped past him as he stood there, shaking his head in amazement.  
  
'More muscle than brain,' he noted dryly, scanning the area for Kat and her assailant. He spotted them a few feet away, a blur of motion in the darkness. She had wound up with the more skilled of the two vampires as she blocked one of the lecher's kicks with her arms crossed in front of her, flinging it down before she launched a roundhouse of her own. Recalling their fight upon his return from Hell, Angel watched with interest, admiration for the young woman's agility rising with each move she made. It took him a moment to see the subtle movement behind the dark-haired young woman, another adversary maneuvering itself to take her by surprise.  
  
Determination was etched into Kat's face as the brunette pivoted on her feet, dodging a blow to the head that would have left her reeling. So far she had managed to keep the vampire from seriously hurting her, but he was faster than his mass made him out to be. Twirling her stake in her right hand, she circled the vampire, seeking an opening. Just as she was about to attack she noticed the vampire's eyes shift slightly, glancing up at something behind her before returning its attention to the petite morsel in front of him.   
  
'Now what is he up to?' the brunette wondered, eyes widening as a horrible idea dawned on her. Fast as lightning she started to turn, but she wasn't fast enough. A third vampire reached out, leather-clad arms trapping her own arms to her sides as it grabbed her from behind. Hissing she kicked and bucked, but it hauled her up, dangling her feet a few inches from the ground. As the lecherous vampire licked its lips and advanced in her direction, she felt the one behind her move its head, nuzzling closer to her neck. Her mind exploded into a storm of rage and fear, triggered by a barrage of unpleasant memories. Her eyes blazed with an inner fire, turning red as hellfire as she fought to free herself from the vampire's deadly embrace.  
  
* * * * * * * *   
When Kat was grabbed from behind Angel growled, gold eyes glowing as he raced to her aid. Eyes narrowing angrily as the vampire who held her bent to nuzzle her neck, only to turn into confusion as the vampire drew back, eyeing the brunette's dainty neck warily. As Angel neared the trio Kat exploded into action. Red tingeing her dark emerald eyes she whipped her head back violently, snarling as the back of her head connected with the vampire's face. At the same time she kicked out in front of her, catching the other vampire fully in the chest and causing it to fall backwards…right into Angel's stake.  
  
Nor did she stop there, twisting about as the vampire's embrace loosened from a combination of confusion and pain. Turning her upper body, Kat slammed her elbow back, rage adding strength to her blow and causing the vampire to stagger back, letting her go and raising its hands to its head as the ground swam before it. Quivering with barely suppressed rage Kat brought her right hand up, swinging the stake in it down through a deadly arc. The bloodlust in her eyes brightened as the vampire's eyes widened in fear, too late it tried to defend itself as her stake imbedded into its chest.  
  
Dust settled around the brunette as she stood there, silently staring off into space. The blood roared in her veins, a testimony to how much nearly being bitten had affected her. Sensing movement behind her, she whirled around, stake upraised to meet the new attacker. Only a tiny part of her recognized the sight and smell of the man who stood before her.  
  
Angel watched in amazement as Kat glared in utter hatred at him, crimson eyes blazing in the moonlight. Her lips were curled into a snarl, and she seemed to be coming down from a berserk frenzy, almost unable to distinguish friend from foe. Slowly understanding seemed to come to the hellcat, her eyes losing that red tint that made her look so deadly. Blinking once, twice, three times, the brunette lowered her weapon arm, giving Angel an apologetic half-smile.  
  
"Sorry about that," she murmured, a trace of her tension betrayed by her voice. "I don't know what came over me." Idly she reached up, rubbing the same area over her jugular that the vampire had been trying to bite. Her actions drew Angel's attention back to her neck, and he remembered the way the vampire had reacted when looking at her neck. Cautiously he moved forward, pausing when Kat's eyes flew up to meet his, distrust and worry reflected in her flickering orbs.  
  
"What is it," he asked, his eyes moving back and forth from shadowed area on her neck to the guarded look in her eyes. As he took another step closer to her the brunette backed away, her hand pressed against her neck defensively.  
  
"Nothing." Her eyes flashed briefly, a myriad of emotions so fast Angel was barely able to see them. One stuck out fresh in his mind however: fear. She was afraid. Of what he wasn't sure, but suddenly he was determined to find out. Taking another step forward he reached out with his hand, his eyes locked onto hers.  
  
"Let me see." His voice was soft, firm but gentle in its insistence. Staring into his warm chocolate eyes, Kat couldn't form a word of protest as he moved closer, brushing her hair aside. As his long fingers ran through her dark locks, the vampire drew his eyes away from hers, moving his gaze down to her neck. Her hand had fallen to her side, exposing the pale flesh to his scrutiny. At first he couldn't see anything, but soon his eyes began to pick out a section that was paler than the rest of her marble skin. Though it looked as if it healed, the ragged nature of it suggested that it had been a painful scar when she had acquired it. Angel's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he realized just what he was looking at…the type of scar made by a vampire bite during a struggle. "What's this?"   
  
The deadly tone in his voice caused Kat to flinch, though she stood her ground, refusing to move as he stared at her scar. Licking her full lips the brunette shrugged as calmly as possible. "It's just a scar; I told you it was nothing." She tried to back away, but Angel's hand fisted in her hair, keeping her firmly in place. "What!"  
  
"How did it happen?" Instead of shouting, the vampire's voice got softer, colder. His eyes came back up to fix on Kat, leveling her with a look that told the brunette she had better not try to get away from this without answering.  
  
"Why do you want to know so much, it happened years ago!" Angrily she tried to free her hair from his hand, but the harder she struggled the tighter his grasp became. Finally her temper exploded. "What do you want to hear? Do you want to hear that I got it the night my mother died? That my mother invited a bunch of vampires into our home unknowingly, and that they proceeded to beat the shit out of her?" Angel's hand in her hair loosened, but Kat plunged on, her emotions and memories pouring from her despite her intentions. "They beat my mother unconscious, and when I tried to stop them, one of those bastards grabbed me and sank his teeth in."   
  
Kat cocked her head to the side, moonlight spilling over her neck to illuminate the ugly scar. "I got this because while he was biting me, I started to change for the first time." A bitter laugh erupted from her throat, causing Angel's eyes to dart back to her face with concern. "Later I found out just how unusual that was. Seems that very few members of my family have ever transformed when the moon wasn't full. My mother wasn't strong enough to change, so I did it for her." Her eyes stung as the urge to cry welled up inside of her, but the brunette blinked rapidly, exhaling loudly as she fought to regain her composure.   
  
Minutes ticked by as she stood there, her chest heaving and her eyes staring off into the distance. Angel stared down at the petite woman, astonishment and sympathy welling up inside of him. He wondered how someone could go through all that and still maintain a shred of sanity. His mouth parted as he sought to offer her some words of comfort, but no sound emerged. Instead he waited as she collected herself enough to continue. Her eyes refocused on the bewildered vampire as she went on.  
  
"I was only twelve; I didn't understand what was happening to me. One minute I was watching my mother go down, being grabbed from behind…the next I woke up beside her, blood covering my body." A slight chill came over Kat and she rubbed her arms self-consciously before straightening. "My mother was still alive, but barely. She spoke to me a little, but then her eyes closed and she didn't wake up."  
  
Angel's hand moved out of her hair, squeezing her shoulder as she took a deep breath. "After the cops came by, they couldn't figure out what happened. They deemed it a murder by thieves, and took me to a foster home. Two years later my transformations became routine, and I left the homes for good."   
  
Letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, the stoic vampire just watched as the delicately strong brunette straightened; any pain her memories had caused her falling away from her face as the guarded look returned. Knowing a little more about her softened that part inside of him that had previously held nothing but ire for the fiery hellcat. Silently he watched as the young woman slipped behind her defensive walls again, any hint of her outburst lost behind hooded eyes. Feeling sorry for the pain she had suffered, he did something unexpected. Slowly his hand moved from her shoulder back to her neck, one long finger tracing the scar gently, almost tenderly.  
  
Kat's eyes widened as Angel's finger caressed her scar, sending tiny tremors through her body. Not since her mother had tucked her into bed when she was little had she been touched in such a personal nature, and it nearly undid all her emotional control. Shaken, she backed away from the vampire, her arms crossing over her chest in a silent barrier against his advancement.  
  
Taking her actions as a cue that he had crossed a line, Angel cleared his throat somewhat nervously. Glancing around the quiet cemetery, he looked back to the young woman with a raised eyebrow. "Why don't we go look for the others?"  
  
"Good idea," Kat agreed quickly, relief evident in her eyes as her thoughts turned to the matter of patrolling. Her hand tightening on the stake she held, she set off in one direction before Angel could utter another word, her face a mask of grim determination. Angel watched her rush off, his expression sad.  
  
"Oh kitten," He murmured, so softly the werewoman couldn't hear him. "What a pair we are." Shaking his head, the vampire moved to follow her. As he scanned the area for potential predators, his eyes slid time and again to the back of the brunette who had thoroughly confused him in such a short time. 


	11. Surprises

It was two in the afternoon on a Saturday, and already Kat was ready to crawl back into her bed at the hotel and snooze for a solid eight hours straight. Cordelia and Willow had managed to drag the reluctant brunette out on her day off from waiting tables in order to shop. Not just any shopping: Presents for Angel shopping. Willow decided that, as a celebration of his first month out of Hell, Angel should have a small party and be given gifts. Cordelia had readily agreed, managing to drag Giles, Xander, and Kat herself into the scheme. And so here she was, collapsing in a chair in the middle of the noisy food court, watching the cheerleader toss her massive amount of purchases onto a chair nearby before pulling an item out of one of them.  
  
"What do you think," Cordelia questioned her shopping buddies, holding up an emerald green clingy dress for the other two to see. Smirking, Kat raised an eyebrow at the very bold, very Cordy-like dress.  
  
"Somehow I don't think its Angel's style," the petite young woman remarked dryly, earning her a glare of indignation from the cheerleader.  
  
"Well of course not!" Cordelia snapped, throwing the garment back into its bag. Ever the peacemaker, Willow jumped into the conversation, her fingers twirling the straw of her Coke as she turned to the tall brunette.  
  
"What did you get Angel?" A smile spread over the cheerleader's face as she shifted bags, pulling one closer and dragging an item out for the others to inspect. Leaning forward, Kat peered intently at Cordy's choice. She had to admit, it was a very nice gift: a long-sleeved poet style shirt made of velvet, the burgundy color was a sharp contrast to the black attire Angel was normally seen in. For a moment an image of the soulful vampire entered Kat's mind, clad in the velvet shirt. She fought to keep a smile from touching her lips as she mused on how the shirt would lighten the color of his dark chocolate eyes to a more interesting shade. It took Willow a full minute to gain the brunette's attention and when she did the redhead grinned, to Kat's annoyance.  
  
"What?" but Willow merely shook her head, the smile on her face disturbing the brunette. As Cordelia waved the garment in front of them, Kat returned her attention to the matter at hand. "It looks…nice. I'm sure he'll like it." Her words were a little strained as she tried to regain her earlier composure, while Willow assured Cordelia that it was indeed a fine gift for the vampire.  
  
As the cheerleader returned the shirt to its bag, Kat took in the sheer number of shopping bags that littered the chair beside Cordelia. Relaxing a little, she smirked once more before commenting rather flippantly, "Damn Cheerleader, I think you bought out half the store! Are you going for the world record here, or are you defending your title?"  
  
"I like to shop." Shrugging off the comment, Cordelia glanced over at Willow, then back at the shorter brunette. A calculated smile stretched across her glossy lips as she leaned forward. "Soo Kat…what do you think of our local souled vamp?"  
  
Kat tensed slightly, darting a look between the other two girls, who were suddenly a little too interested in her answer. Raising an eyebrow, the brunette offered before taking a sip of her own soda, "He's a good fighter?"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Cordelia let out an undignified snort. "Oh please! It's obvious you are sprung on the guy."  
  
The cheerleader's accusation had the effect of sending Kat into choking sputters. Alarmed, Willow moved closer, pounding the brunette's back as she struggled to breathe. Glaring now at the cheerleader, who looked rather smug about Kat's reaction, the smaller brunette managed to gasp out a reply between breaths. "I. Am. NOT. Sprung. On. Him!"   
  
"Well he certainly has an effect on you," Cordelia challenged, waving her hand in the air. "The other night when you two patrolled together you came back clearly flustered about something, and I know he kept staring at you. Admit it; you were all hot and bothered by him. You don't have to feel too embarrassed. I mean, that is the normal female reaction to him."  
  
"You're nuts!" Shaking her head vehemently, Kat appealed to the redhead, who so far had sat in thoughtful silence. "Wills, tell this crazy pom-pom shaker that there is nothing going on between me and that vampire." The brunette's jaw dropped as Willow seemed to hesitate. "Willow?!"  
  
"Well," the petite redhead began, nibbling on her lower lip. "You do seem kind of edgy whenever he's around. And he did join us for patrol after you went over to talk to him for me, and he never patrolled with us before." Emerald eyes sparkling, Willow grinned. "What's wrong, I think it's sweet Kat!"  
  
"There is nothing sweet about this," the brunette hissed, staring at the other women like they had grown two heads. "I do not have the hots for Angel!"  
  
"You don't find him the least bit attractive?" Cordelia questioned almost ruthlessly, an eyebrow raised dubiously as she watched the other brunette squirm uncomfortably in her seat. Amused, the cheerleader continued. "That silky brown hair…"  
  
"Those chocolate, puppy-dog brown eyes," Willow chipped in, fighting to keep from grinning at her friend's discomfort, but without much success. Her words earned her a glare from Kat, but the redhead plunged on regardless. "That self-depreciating smile…"  
  
"And that body?" Cordelia offered, sighing herself as she got into her mental image of Angel. "Like some marble statue of a greek god come to life…"  
  
"And that ass!" Both brunettes stared at Willow in shock, but the elfin girl merely shrugged. "What? He does have a nice ass." Thoroughly horrified at this point, Kat shook her head violently, struggling not to picture the Angel their words had conjured. Her lips curled into a snarl as the vampire's profile came all too easily to her mind.   
  
"ARRGH!" she fairly shouted, drawing strange looks from several people nearby, but Kat didn't care. Fixing each woman with a glare, she repeated her earlier protestations through clenched teeth. "I do not now, nor will I ever, have the hots for Angel!"  
  
Mumbling something under her breath that sounded to Kat's ears suspiciously like "methinks she protests too much," Willow resumed sipping her soda, her mind working overtime. She was pretty sure that Cordy had touched a nerve…it wasn't hard to see that, for some reason, Kat and Angel were very much interested in each other. 'Now how do I get them to see it?' the redhead mused silently. Slowly an evil thought wormed its way to the forefront, causing her lips to twitch. 'Bad Willow!'  
  
Glancing down at her watch, Willow cried out in dismay. "Oh no!" When Kat and Cordelia looked at her in confusion, the redhead explained. "I promised Angel I would stop by the butchers and get him some blood, but I have to go tutor a guy in 10 minutes!" In truth, her tutoring session wasn't for another hour, but she hoped Kat, and Angel, forgave her this one tiny white lie. "And he has no blood, so if I don't go he'll starve all night, and maybe he'll lose control and snack on some innocent passerby and it will all be my fault…" She fell silent as Kat touched her shoulder, hoping to calm the flustered girl down before she collapsed from lack of oxygen.  
  
"Easy Wills, breathe once in awhile." Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Kat asked the question to which she dreaded an answer. "What do you want us to do about it?" The knot of unease in her stomach grew as Willow looked at the brunette silently, eyes big as saucers. "No." The redhead's eyes grew bigger, and her lower lip began to tremble. "NO! Don't make that face Wills." Kat struggled to call forth all of her resolve as Willow continued to plead silently with the brunette. "I am not going to bring that vampire blood, and that's final!"  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
'I'm going to kill her,' Kat growled silently, her arms laden down with the bags she had gotten from the meat market. She all but snarled at the man who had given her the blood bags, so foul a mood was she in thanks to a certain manipulative redhead. 'She is so going to pay for this!' The brunette continued to grumble to herself as she walked up the path to the mansion that afternoon, her face set in a dark look as she tried hard not to think of how odd her friends were.   
  
"As if I have a thing for that brooding, pale-faced, guilt-ridden, gorgeous vampire," she mumbled, storming up to the mansion. As she raised her hand to knock on the door, Kat realized what she had said and swore. Viciously. 'Damn them!' Not waiting for a reply she grabbed the doorknob and twisted, not giving much thought to the fact that it was unlocked as she entered the darkened hallway, nearly slamming the door behind her in the process.  
  
"Hello!" Kat ground out through her teeth, scowling as she entered the living room in search of the vampire that was at the heart of all her frustration. She didn't see anyone in sight, but her sensitive ears picked up sounds coming from upstairs. Assuming he was there she turned, stalking into the kitchen to put the blood away, grumbling under her breath about vampires, cheerleaders, and redheads with super powers of the manipulative variety as she went.  
  
Once she had put the blood away Kat glanced around the kitchen, noting the lack of appliances and utensils in the place. So simple these touches were to a home that the brunette felt a pang of sadness to note there was only a mug by the sink, obviously for drinking his cup of blood. Slowly she frowned again, shaking her head as she tried to remember she was mad at the vampire for making her friends think she liked him. Resuming her litany, Kat moved about the kitchen, fixing a mug of blood in the microwave for said vampire even as she cursed his sad puppy-brown eyes.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Angel sighed in pleasure as the heat of the shower beat down on his chilly neck. Leaning into the spray, he closed his eyes, trying for perhaps the hundredth time that day not to think about the mystery that was Kat. Ever since that night he had patrolled with the fiery hellcat he had wondered about her, and about her reaction to his touch. He kept telling himself it was only concern for a friend, a friend who seemed to harbor the same pain and anguish that he himself suffered. Certainly it had nothing to do with the way her eyes flickered, changing color with her shifting moods. And it had nothing to do with her dainty figure, which made her look delicately strong when she battled the various demons the hellmouth threw at her. Not to mention the way she twirled her silky hair in her fingers, sucking on her lower lip in a habit she had picked up from Willow…  
  
Groaning, the vampire turned off the shower, shaking droplets out of his hair as he tried to shake loose his thoughts. 'I am not interested in the kitten,' he repeated over and over to himself as he stepped out of the shower. His eyes swept over the bathroom, searching for his towel before remembering that he had left it in the bedroom. Sighing, he reached for the doorknob, his preoccupation with his thoughts preventing him from realizing that someone else was in the house with him.  
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
'I am not interested in the vampire, I am not interested in the vampire,' Kat thought as she carried the mug of blood towards the stairs, climbing them as she tried to locate said vampire. As she reached the top of the stairs she heard a door click open. Glancing up, she caught a glimpse of Angel as he stepped out of the bathroom, heading away from her in the direction of his bedroom. Her eyes grew wide, shifting in color as fast as a cyclone as she watched his beautifully formed backside move away from her. Blue, green, black, and red all flashed through her eyes as her mouth opened, an inarticulate squeak escaping her lush lips. So intently was she staring at his pale derriere and the large tattoo on his right shoulder blade she forgot all about the mug in her hands, which was currently hurtling towards the floor.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
A soft sound behind Angel, followed by the sound of something breaking, caused the vampire to whirl around in surprise. At the end of the hallway stood the object of his thoughts, her mouth open as she stared at him strangely. She seemed close to hyperventilating, her chest heaving in the effort to breathe and her eyes nearly popping out of her pretty head. Angel idly noted the broken mug of spilled blood at her feet, his attention more firmly fixed on the brunette who was still trying to breathe normally, her eyes darting up to his face for a moment before trailing down his pale, dripping body. Only when her face flushed a lovely shade of scarlet did the vampire remember that he was nude, and currently giving the brunette a good view of his assets.  
  
Thankful that he was unable to blush himself the vampire backed up as quickly as possible, nearly jarring himself on the bedroom door in the process. Quick as lightening his arm snaked out, shutting the door behind him with a loud thud! Taking in a deep, unneeded breath, Angel groaned and leaned against the door, closing his eyes and banging his head against the wood as mortification settled in. 'This is not good.'   
  
From the silence on the other side of the door, he assumed that Kat had not moved yet. Opening his eyes, Angel glanced around the room quickly, almost frantic to find something clean to throw on so he could go back out there and see if she was still hyperventilating…or if she had just passed right out on the floor. As he grabbed a pair of black sweats, the flustered vampire cursed the unholy timing of the Hellmouth.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
'Breathe Kat, breathe,' the brunette had tried to signal her brain for more oxygen, but the tantalizing view of Angel in all his glory had managed to short circuit her mind for the moment. It wasn't until he had slammed the bedroom door closed that she had snapped out of her stupor, just barely managing not to lick her lips and sigh as her mind replayed that juicy moment over and over for her viewing pleasure.  
  
Taking a step back, Kat winced as she heard porcelain breaking under her boot. Glancing down in dismay, she noted the mug she had been carrying laid now in pieces at her feet. 'So much for breakfast in bed…oh, I did NOT want to go there.' Groaning in embarrassment, the petite brunette did the only thing she could do…she ran back down the stairs and out the front door before Angel could come back out of the bedroom.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Satisfied that he looked somewhat presentable in his black sweats and tee, Angel took a deep breath and, combing his spiky hair with one hand, opened the door to the hallway. "Kitten?" he called out softly, scanning the area in search of the brunette. Frowning, he headed downstairs, searching for her all over. As he entered the kitchen the vampire realized she must have run off.  
  
Sighing heavily, the vampire put both arms on the kitchen counter, his head buried in them as his mortification over the scene that had just occurred returned full force. 'Great, just great. First I can't stop thinking about the little hellcat, and then she walks in on me like that!'   
  
Moving back up the stairs, Angel hissed as he felt a sharp pain in his foot. Twisting it so he could get a better look, the vampire frowned as he saw a splinter of porcelain embedded in the sole of his foot. 'And now I'm bleeding because she broke my mug.' Sighing once more, the vampire set to digging the shard out of his foot.  
  
'What else can go wrong?'  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Across town Kat leaned up against the wall of a building, trying to catch her breath as her mind ran a marathon of thoughts, all of them regarding Angel and his natural state. Her face continued to flush as she tried and failed to get those wonderful, inappropriate images out of her head.  
  
"ARGH!" she shrieked, causing several passersby to glance her way in alarm. 'I'm going insane, that must be it. I must be completely 'round the bend to keep picturing Angel like that, naked, in his hallway.' Her embarrassment increased as she remembered the broken mug on the floor. Burying her face in her hands, she moaned. 'And not only do I have to practically, better make that blatantly, ogle the guy in his own home, but I break probably his only mug in the process! I am so screwed.'  
  
As the brunette lowered her hands from her still flaming cheeks, her eyes caught on a sign across the street. First confusion, then interest, and finally delight crossed over her delicate features. Letting out a small cry of happiness, Kat darted across the street, weaving around the cars that zipped by, to the place that offered her some hope of salvation. As she entered the building, a sales boy nearby came over, pasting a smile on his face.  
  
"Welcome to the House of Mugs, can I help you?"  
  
Smiling her biggest smile, Kat sighed in relief. "Actually, I think you can…" 


	12. The Gift

Heading down the tunnel that led to the library, Angel pondered the odd things that had occurred in the past couple of days. Willow was up to something, he was sure of it. The elfin redhead had been spending less and less time over at his place, darting off for some reason or another without much explanation. The others seemed just as bad: Xander was unusually quiet, and Cordelia seemed about as bubbly as said hacker, gushing with unexplained energy as they patrolled nightly. And the kitten…the kitten was avoiding him entirely.  
  
Sighing, Angel stuck his hands in the pockets of his black jeans, his thoughts on the hazel-eyed brunette as he neared the library. So far she had managed not to be left alone with Angel, though she spoke to him as politely as possible when forced to. She rarely looked up into his eyes, though he certainly felt her curious gaze on his back when he was turned away from her. It was enough to make a vampire grind his fangs into a fine powder.  
  
It took the dark-haired vampire a moment to become conscious of the eerie silence that emanated from the entrance into the library. Concern etched into his features, Angel hesitated, cocking his head to listen for any sounds. He knew the Scoobies were inside, but his senses couldn't pick up anything…including heartbeats. Alarmed, the vampire began to move cautiously in the shadows.  
  
'If anyone has hurt Willow or the kitten I'll…' he thought darkly as he moved around the bookcase, coming into view of the main room. His thought was never finished as he was surprised by explosion of noise and movement in front of him as the five people that knew him spied the vampire as he emerged from behind the bookcases.  
  
"SURPRISE!" Willow and Cordelia shouted in delight, the redhead darting forward the hug Angel as the rest of them watched. The stunned vampire stood there, his mouth open in shock as he noted the banner that had been erected, the words HAPPY RETURN FROM HELL ANGEL in bright, bold red letters against a black background. He glanced down at Willow, who was giggling at his reaction and tugging on his hand.  
  
"What's all this?" His voice came out a little strangled as he questioned the redhead, who beamed and began dragging him towards the library table, which held a small collection of gifts.  
  
"It's a celebration silly! For you." Seeing the confusion etched into the vampire's dark features, Willow plunged on. "We wanted to help you celebrate your return from hell, and to let you know that you're not alone, so Cordelia and I planned this party in your honor!" The redhead giggled, bouncing proudly on her toes as she added, "Giles helped me find a spell that would mask your senses just enough to surprise you…do you like?" Her comments made Angel glance at the other occupants of the room, who wore a range of expressions on their faces: Cordelia was nearly as excited as Willow, a true smile gracing the cheerleader's lips for once. Xander and Giles were a little more aloof, though Giles seemed to have mellowed in his attitude toward Angel some. Lastly there was the kitten, Kat, who looked at him with something of a guarded look in her eyes. As they came into contact with his coffee-colored eyes, her own blue-green orbs glanced away, one hand reaching up to idly play with a silky strand of her hair as she stared at the table. He couldn't dwell on it however, as Willow managed to wrangle the stunned vampire over to the table, seating him at the head. Plopping a party hat on his spiky head, the redhead smirked and, gesturing to the gifts, began to bounce. "Open them!"  
  
Unable to refuse, Angel managed a small, but happy, smile before reaching for the first gift. A package wrapped in shiny gold wrapping, he noted the scrawling handwriting of Cordelia on the top before he carefully tugged the wrapping away from the box…  
  
* * * * * * * * *   
Angel stared at the odd assortment of presents that he had received from the group so far. Each of the presents reflected much about the person who had given it to him. Amusement twinkled in his chocolate eyes as he glanced down at the velvet shirt Cordelia had gifted him, a not so subtle hint that he needed a little color in his wardrobe. Xander's present was typical of something he would give the vampire: a well-polished wooden stake with Angel's name carved into the grain. He understood the threat implied by the stake, that Angel could either use it, or that Xander would use it on him someday should Angelus return. Any comment he could have made about it was lost however when Giles' gift to the vampire was opened. At that point Angel had started to get a little emotional, his voice straining as he thanked the librarian for a leather-bound book, detailing the ancestry of his vampire clan.   
  
Setting the book down, he glanced between the two gifts left on the table: Willow's and Kat's. Eyeing the two young women as he leaned forward, Angel reached for the gift wrapped in simple green paper. Seeing his redheaded friend's eyes light up, a ghost of a smile flickered on Angel's face as he guessed whom this present came from. As he peeled the wrapping away from the gift the vampire wondered what the tiny hacker could have found to give to him. As the last piece of paper fell away he found himself unable to find the words to express how wonderful her gift was. A framed photograph stared back at him, a picture from many years ago, of the Scourge of Europe. Angel chocked up as he gazed down at the familiar faces of his Sire Darla, the insane beauty that was Dru, and his impudent childe Spike. Touching the portrait, the vampire's eyes saddened as he thought back to the days when they had all been happy together: before the curse, before Darla's death, before the fighting over Dru, before Buffy. Xander chose that moment to open his mouth, glancing at the people in the picture as he asked:  
  
"Nice picture Wills, where did you find it?" Looking at the images of Spike and Dru, the teenager shuddered. "Those two are so creepy though. I wonder how Junior and Looney Toons are these days?" As Xander straightened from the portrait, he almost missed the dark looks Cordelia and Willow shot his way. Not noticing the hurt look that flashed in Angel's eyes, he blinked at the girls in confusion. "What?"  
  
Silent until now, Kat shook her head, softly wishing Xander a nice funeral as Willow grabbed his ear, pulling him aside to berate the clueless brunette for his thoughtless words. Her gaze shifting back to the vampire seated at the table, the young woman felt sorry for him, seeing the look on his face as he gazed at the photograph. 'He must miss them an awful lot,' her curiosity in the group in the picture growing even more. She had no idea who the people were, but she could tell they meant a lot to the vampire as a bloody tear managed to fall unnoticed down his cheek.   
  
As Willow and Xander rejoined the group the teenaged boy cleared his throat, his face sheepish as he looked down at the table. "Sorry Dea…I mean Angel," Willow's foot digging into Xander's caused the young man to wince, but keep his apology polite and somewhat sincere. "I didn't mean to upset you there."  
  
Straightening in his chair, Angel brushed his cheek quickly, his face an imperceptible mask as he nodded curtly to Xander. His eyes shifted to Willow and, noting the stricken look of guilt in her emerald orbs, offered her a small smile. "Thank you Little One. I…can't tell you how much it means to me, you finding this." As the redhead smiled back softly he turned his attention to the last gift on the table: Kat's. Lifting his eyes to gaze at the kitten, he watched with growing curiosity as she glanced over at the other presents, then down at her own. A small frown drew across her pouty lips, her arms folded over her chest as she hunched over defensively.  
  
As Angel watched the kitten leaned forward, unfolding her arms as her dainty hand reached out to snatch the present back. Unable to resist the chance to needle a reaction out of the dark-haired woman, the vampire snatched the small gift up before she could, pulling it closer to inspect the box. "What's this kitten, hmm?" His eyes were on her, not the present, so he noted with interest the slight flush that spread over her face and down her neck.  
  
"It…It's nothing," she said quickly, her eyes saying otherwise as she looked at the mysterious package like she wanted it to disappear. Angel's interest grew with every passing minute.  
  
"Nothing? I'm sure it can't be that bad Kitten," he commented, beginning to take the wrapping off. Opening the plain white box underneath the paper, he lifted the object inside out for all to see.  
  
A cough erupted in the dead silence of the library, echoing through the room like a gunshot. All eyes were fixated on the strange monstrosity that perched on Angel's hand, not one person uttering so much as a word. Time ticked by slowly, and Kat began to fidget as the eyes shifted from the strange gift to her.   
  
Xander was the first to speak. Clearing his throat, he tried for a tactful approach. "Wow Kat. It's…It's…"  
  
"Ugly." Five pairs of eyes shifted to the ex-cheerleader as she offered a suitable word to describe Kat's gift to Angel. The vampire shot a glance over to Kat, barely suppressing a wince as he watched the light go out of the petite brunette's eyes at Cordelia's less than tactful opinion. Crossing her arms over her chest once more, the dark-haired young woman directed her glare at Angel, who dropped his own gaze back to the object in his hands. It WAS pretty ugly: the otherwise fine black mug, with its smoky gray Celtic knots on both sides, would have been considered a fine gift…if not for the other 'touches' that had been added to the item. The rim of the mug was coated in bright red, dripping down the sides and looking for all appearances like blood. The handle itself was shaped like a fang, with its bloody point ending at the bottom of the mug. All in all, it made for a ghastly sight.  
  
"Where did you find this," the vampire asked, trying to keep his voice as soft and neutral as possible. Glancing back up at Kat, he watched as she flicked a glance at the offending mug, then back to Angel. Reaching up to play with her hair, the kitten shrugged, muttering something under her breath so fast he could barely hear it. "What?"  
  
"I um…I had it made at that ceramic mug store in town," Kat stammered, wishing for all the world that she had picked a more sensible gift for this occasion. 'Why did I have to choose something I thought was humorous?' her mind groaned. She was so wrapped up in berating herself that she didn't see the look in Angel's eyes as he studied the mug more intently…or the twitch of his lips either.  
  
'She had this made?' The sheer absurdity of the idea forced Angel to reexamine the eyesore he held before him. It was then that he noted the Celtic knots on both sides of the mug were actually patterned after the Celtic symbol for eternity. Angel's lips twitched as he thought about Kat requesting the mug at the ceramic store, and the odd looks she would have received as she insisted it be made this way. 'Blood, fangs, Celtic knots, the sign for Eternity, the color black…' Something bubbled up inside of Angel, something he hadn't felt in years and certainly not since the gypsies had cursed him. He tried to contain the feeling, but it swelled up inside his chest, making him feel oddly giddy. Eyes bright with amusement, the vampire did something he had not done in a long time…he laughed.  
  
Kat's head shot up as she heard the sound coming from Angel's mouth: a rich, deep laughter that filled the library and echoed off its walls. Surprised, and more than just a little disgruntled, Kat glanced at the other occupants of the room to see if they would join in, only to discover they were frozen in shock at the sight of Angel laughing. Xander stared, his jaw dropping as he contemplated the vampire, his party hat askew as he continued to chuckle hysterically. Giles took a step back, taking his glasses off, polishing them, and putting them back as if to check if he were seeing things correctly. Cordelia and Willow had odd looks on their faces, a soft smile touching the redhead's lips as she watched her friend fully enjoy himself for once, while the ex-cheerleader gaped at Angel like he had lost his mind.  
  
Growling under her breath, Kat returned her fiery gaze to the vampire, who was even now trying to regain his composure. Wiping the bloody tears away from his eyes, Angel glanced up at the kitten and, seeing her grouchy disposition, flashed her as charming a smile as he could manage. "Don't be mad kitten. I wasn't laughing at you. Actually, I'm rather fond of this gift." Kat snorted in disbelief, which caused Angel to rise. Setting the repulsively charming mug down carefully he moved closer to the brunette, who continued to glare at him angrily. The vampire continued to smile as he tried to soothe her ruffled feathers…err…fur. "It's very amusing. Plus it comes at a very good time…I seem to have misplaced my other mug."   
  
The twinkle in his eyes faded somewhat as Kat flushed, her eyes flashing with something other than hatred. Vulnerability? Slowly Angel's eyes took in her defensive posturing, the nervous way she was playing with her hair, and the embarrassed flush that kissed her pale cheeks. 'She looks afraid. Of being judged, or brushed aside for her odd idea?' Slowly his serious demeanor returned, his eyes kind as he leaned against the table, facing Kat. "Hey," he whispered softly, causing the kitten to raise her head to look at him. Once he had her attention, her eyes fixed on his, he continued. "I'm not kidding kit...Katura," using her full first name quietly, "I like it. Thank you."  
  
Her blue-green orbs searched his own chocolate brown ones for a moment, questioning. Slowly she smiled back, her lips tugging upwards in one of those secret smiles reserved for friends. "You're welcome." Silently the two stared at each other for a moment, their heads moving slightly closer to close the distance between them, until…  
  
"Hey Dead Boy!" A startled vampire and kitten turned, eyes wide as a flash went off in their eyes. Blinking rapidly, both brunettes rubbed their eyes grudgingly as Xander grinned from behind the camera he was using. Willow and Cordelia, slow to stop the teenaged boy from spoiling another 'tender moment,' latched onto his arms and managed to drag him away, the ex cheerleader muttering something about the Hellmouth and its rotten timing. An awkward silence descended on the area, which was broken when Giles cleared his throat.  
  
"Well," he started, a little uncomfortable with the level of tension surrounding the table. "Perhaps, now that Angel has had a chance to unwrap his gifts, we can proceed with some research into that prophecy Willow unearthed." Five groans issued from the other occupants of the room, all eyes turning to glare balefully at the librarian. Straightening, Giles managed to look somewhat authoritative as he continued. "We still don't know anything about it, or how it relates to Kat here, so I suggest we figure it out. Preferably before something else goes wrong in this town."  
  
When no one made a move to argue with the librarian he retreated into his office, unearthing the books he thought would be the most help in researching the mysterious prophecy that seemed link to their new werecat friend. Rejoining the group he passed out books to everyone but Willow, who stubbornly insisted on continuing her research on the Internet. And so Angel's party faded into the background as Giles, and practicality, forced the slaying group to turn to more serious matters. 


	13. Midnight Conversations

Gnashing her teeth in frustration, Kat cursed herself mentally as the words on the page before her began to blur. Four hours, and so far no one had managed to find a damn thing. The tiny brunette was already getting a crick in her neck from pouring over the books for so long. Reaching up to her temple, the brunette massaged it gently, the beginnings of a dull headache making itself known. Giving her tired eyes a break, she closed her book softly, looking around the room from her cross-legged perch on the top of the library counter. The library was silent but for the typing Willow was doing, her dainty fingers flying over the keyboard as she continued to search various websites online. A small frown marred her elfin features, her bottom lip sucked into her teeth as the redhead sought the rest of the prophecy they had unearthed a couple of weeks ago.  
  
Her lips quirking in a soft smile, Kat glanced over at Cordelia and Xander, who were pouring over a book together. Or rather, Xander was actually reading, while the beauty queen filed her nails, occasionally glancing over Xander's shoulders before resuming her task.   
  
'Cordy is not what one would call an avid reader,' Kat mused silently, her lips twitching in amusement. Giles was his usual serious self, his head bent over a musty old book as he researched with the same diligence Willow demonstrated at the computer. From time to time he would stop, pinching the bridge of his nose or rubbing his glasses before reading further. Evidently he was having no more luck than the rest of them.  
  
Angel watched as Kat glanced around the room, her face wistful as she watched the other Scoobies doing what they did best: research. His own eyes remained on her as her gaze moved slowly in his direction, light green settling on dark brown. Ashamed at being caught staring he glanced down at the book he was supposed to be reading, aware that her eyes were burning holes into his skull. It was by sheer coincidence that he managed to actually read a passage from the book he was looking at, the blood he had drank earlier that day freezing in his veins as he stared at the words before him. His lips moved soundlessly as he read the section over again, making sure he saw correctly. '…and begins with the phrase Fang and talon, devil and daemon…shall meet under full moon's light…'   
  
'Wait a minute…those words! Aren't they…' Choking down his surprise, Angel shot to his feet, clutching the book tightly in his hands. All heads turned in the vampire's direction as he looked up at Giles, eyes unfathomable as he held the book out for the librarian to take. "I think I may have found something…"  
  
"Let me see that Angel," Giles said, taking the dusty book from the vampire and, peering at the page, cleared his throat in surprise. "This is amazing!" The group moved closer to the librarian, Kat remaining on her counter perch as Giles read aloud from the passage Angel had glanced at. "This appears to be an accounting of…of the library of Alexandria!" A hint of wonder and awe filled the Watcher's voice as he pondered just what they were getting themselves into.  
  
"Uh…who's Alexandria?" Xander piped up, wondering what some old hag's library had to do with Kat and their present day problem.   
  
"Alexandria was a great library in Egypt, perhaps the biggest library in all of history," Willow offered before Giles could explain. At the librarian's nod of affirmation, the redhead's eyes widened as the thought occurred to her: Egypt…Kat…prophecy. Sucking in her breath, eyes bright, the petite hacker bounced on her feet. "What does it say Giles?"  
  
Bending his head back over the book, Giles read aloud as his eyes scanned the text. "Among the notable Greek literature and thoughts contained in the library at Alexandria where what many scholars believe to be the 'Heavenly Scrolls,' prophecies and ideologies passed from various deity sects throughout the land of Egypt. Many were lost or scattered during the sacking of Alexandria, and it becomes hard to find a full version that exists today."   
  
His voice rising in barely contained excitement, Giles read on, coming closer to the passage Angel had found. "An example of what the scholars believe to be the Heavenly Scrolls is contained below. It is a section from a scroll believed to have come from the shrine of the Egyptian goddess Sakhmet, who was the embodiment of divine judgment," Giles continued, ignoring Kat's soft gasp from behind him on the counter. "This section is considered to be authentic, and begins with the phrase Fang and talon, devil and daemon, summoned near by witch's power, shall meet under full moon's light. However, there is no evidence to suggest this is in fact one of the Heavenly Scrolls, as the rest of the scroll is missing and has yet to be discovered."  
  
The air seemed heavy with disappointment as Giles paused. Sighing, he closed his eyes briefly, summoning his patience. A defeated look crossed his features as he read on, his voice losing most of its eagerness. "The only other line revealed from this scroll thus far is the ending, which reads '…And the cursed shall become the gifted.' At this time, it is anyone's guess just what this refers to, as no mentions of the cursings of Sakhmet have been found." With a heavy heart the librarian shut the book, finding himself unable to look in Kat's direction, to see the disappointment he knew must be on her face. Staring at the cover of the tome in his hands, Giles sighed. "It appears that our search will be more…extensive…than usual." As no one dared to speak he reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly. Opening his eyes, he looked around at the weary faces around him and, shoulders slumping slightly, waved a hand at the group. "Let's call it a night. We'll pick this up again some other time."  
  
No one argued with the Watcher, everyone silently gathering their things and heading for the library doors. Sliding off the library counter, a silent Kat hovered near the doors, waiting for Willow in order to walk her home. As the dejected hacker moved in her direction the brunette heard a soft noise behind her and, turning, came face to face with a concerned looking Angel. The vampire gave her a soft smile, his hands laden with the gifts his friends had given him as he spoke. "Mind if I walk you two home?"  
  
Kat hesitated, debating how to decline, when suddenly Willow's head jerked up, her eyes regaining some of their inner light as she smiled at the vampire. "Sure Angel!" the slender hacker beamed, her mind working overtime as it cycled through one evil idea after another. 'Get him to walk us home, drop me off first...' Hiding her mischievous musings behind her most innocent smile, she turned to a bewildered and wary Kat, who looked as if she wanted nothing more than to run far, far away. "Can we stop by my house first though? Coming up with a big ole nothing on the computer has kind of left me tired…"  
  
'Willow is very, very evil.' Kat grumbled inwardly as she half-glared at the naïve-looking hacker, who was even now grabbing Angel's arm at the elbow and escorting him out the library door, leaving the shorter brunette to trail behind them reluctantly. Gruffly the dark-haired werecat followed, her arms wrapped around her chest as she lengthened her stride in order to catch up with the pair.   
  
Kat's mood didn't improve as Willow continued to cling onto Angel's arm, talking animatedly with the tall vampire as they headed towards the Rosenburg residence. Apparently the redhead's earlier frustration with the lack of information on the prophecy had melted away as she asked Angel about whether or not he liked his surprise party. Kat managed not to grind her teeth as Angel responded, smiling down at the hacker with amusement as she commented on Xander's idea of good present.   
  
"…I still don't think it was very nice of him to get you a stake, but then Xander was never one for giving much thought to his gifts. One year for Christmas he got me a stuffed frog, and I don't even celebrate the holiday!" Willow shuddered as she recalled her reaction to Xander's choice of cuddly, if not terrifying to the redhead, toys. Angel's chuckling response to her reaction was worth it however…as was the pair of daggers she could feel in her back, courtesy of Kat's eyes she was sure. The petite hacker did her best to hide her crafty smile from the two she was walking home with. It wouldn't do for them to notice her attempts at pushing the couple together.   
  
"Xander's present was fine Willow," Angel couldn't help but smile as Willow continued to babble alongside of him. As they rounded the corner onto Willow's street, he continued. "I enjoyed each of my presents, and they mean a lot to me Little One." The vampire stiffened only slightly as he felt Kat's eyes settle on his back. The delicate beauty had not said a single word since he had offered to walk them home, and he was beginning to regret making the suggestion in the first place. It was rather obvious that the dark-haired young woman would rather be left alone right now, but Willow either wasn't paying attention or disagreed entirely.  
  
Fortunately for the vampire, they were standing in front of Willow's house just then, so he could safely say his goodbyes to the two young women and head for the mansion for some 'brood time' as Willow liked to call it. "Here you are Little One, safe and sound," he commented, smiling softly down at the hacker, and then flashing another smile back at Kat as he began to back away from them slowly. "Thank you both for a very enjoyable evening..."  
  
"You're not going to walk Kat home?" Willow inquired, her lower lip sticking out as she frowned at the vampire. Kat stiffened beside her, eyes darkening in suspicion as she regarded the seemingly innocent looking redhead. 'What is that girl up to,' the brunette pondered. She didn't have to wait long as the redhead plunged on in a rush of words. "Because she lives in the direction of the mansion, so it wouldn't be a problem to take her. And it's not very gentlemanly to let a woman walk around all alone at night like this, since you never know what is out there. What if she was ambushed by like six vampires at once, or some creepy guy pulls a gun on her while she's not looking, or…" the redhead yelped as Kat clamped a hand over the girl's mouth, her lips set in a firm line as she glared at Willow.  
  
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself Wills," the brunette ground out, her nervous energy flaring her temper even more. Sardonically she raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "Or have you forgotten I'm not exactly your average, everyday teenager?" Feeling Willow nod her acknowledgement of Kat's strength, she removed her hand from the other's girl's mouth before returning her attention to the nearby vampire, who looked as if he was mulling over the redhead's words. "There's no need for you to walk me home." Her tone was firm, her expression fierce as she stood in front of Willow defensively, as if ready to fight over the issue.  
  
Centuries of life had done nothing to bury Angel's more chivalrous nature…if anything his time as a souled vampire had strengthened his desire to protect the fairer sex. Willow's words had the effect of a cold bucket of water on the vampire: he could picture, in very vivid and graphic detail, all sorts of unpleasant things that could befall the fiery kitten, no matter her strength and speed. As each terrible scenario flashed before his eyes his hands tightened on his packages, the need to rend and tear bubbling under the surface. Growling low in his throat, his pride leaped to the forefront at Kat's firm denial of assistance. "Willow's right," he said slowly, earning a full-blown scowl from the kitten as he continued. "I can't let you walk home alone kitten. Who knows what kind of trouble you'd get into."  
  
Kat nearly choked on her outrage. The nerve of those two, ganging up on her as if she was some damsel that needed protecting! Wanting nothing more than to slap the arrogant smile that flickered across Angel's face, Kat took a step forward, preparing to give him a good tongue lashing about women's rights and where his sense of chivalry could go. Unfortunately, Willow had other ideas.  
  
"Great, it's settled…Angel will walk you home Kat. You two take care!" Unable to hide her grin, the redhead spun around and, before either brunette could reply, bolted inside her out and closed the door behind her.  
  
As silence began to descend upon the two willful people standing outside on the Rosenburg lawn, Angel glanced at the closed door, then down at his reluctant companion. Raising an eyebrow, he gave the young woman a half bow and, with a smile of inevitability on his lips, tilted his head to one side. "Shall we Kitten?"  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
'I'm going to kill Willow; I'm going to kill Willow…' Kat chanted one of her favorite mantras in her mind as she walked next to the now silent vampire. So far they had been walking for the past five minutes, and neither one had managed to say much. Angel was having a tough time breaking the ice, and Kat was perfectly content not to start any conversation that would eventually lead toward mugs, showers, or conversations with two deranged teenagers in a mall. And so they plunged onward, both lost in their own circular thoughts, the tension between them almost unbearable.  
  
Shifting the packages in his arms, Angel tried to think of a good way to start conversation with the brunette walking quietly beside him. From the dark look on her face, he was certain she was as uncomfortable in this silence as he was. He wondered what it was she was thinking about. Idly his eyes flicked over her features, coming to rest on the pale scar he could see when her hair moved away from her neck. Recalling her explanation on their first night of patrol together, he frowned. 'So much pain, and in such a short time,' he mused sadly, concern for the brunette reflected in his soulful eyes as he continued to watch her out of the corner of his eyes. 'I wonder what else she had been through.'  
  
Meanwhile Kat happened to glance in the vampire's direction, her eyes coming to rest on the portrait that Willow had given him. Recalling the expression on Angel's face as he had glanced at it, the young woman wondered who the people who…and why they meant so much to him.  
  
Her questions must have been reflected on her face, because Angel spoke up softly, his tone inquiring, "What is it Kitten?"  
  
Nervously Kat reached up with one hand to play with her hair, shooting a glance up at Angel as she debated whether or not to ask her question out loud. Taking a deep breath, she crossed her fingers mentally and plunged on in. "Who are the people in your picture?"  
  
Of all the things to ask the vampire, that one question, asked in a breathless whisper, managed to freeze Angel in his tracks. Sadness overwhelmed him for a moment and, closing his eyes, the vampire took a very deep breath to steady himself. Opening his chocolate-brown eyes he collected himself as well as he could before beginning. "They are my family…my vampire family if you will. Adjusting the packages so that the portrait was visible, Angel named them off for the confused kitten. "Darla, the light-haired woman, was my Sire…she brought me across, made me what I am today. Or, rather, what Angelus was in his day. The dark beauty is my childe Drusilla, a very….talented….young woman. She's a powerful psychic, and, thanks to Angelus, stark raving mad."  
  
Kat listened to Angel as she glanced at the portrait, studying each woman's face carefully. Darla looked like she owned the world, the type of person who was used to manipulating others. Dru looked beautiful, if a little on the spacey side. Pointing to the image of the other man, Kat looked back up at Angel, her eyes curious. "And that one?"  
  
"That? That is William; though he goes by Spike these days, he's my other childe." Angel's voice dripped with sadness as he looked at his protégé, the childe he was the most proud of, and who he also hated the most. As Kat watched him carefully Angel began walking again, his voice far off as he went on about the golden haired vampire. "Spike was the youngest of the group, but also the most enthusiastic member of the Scourge of Europe; as the Watcher's Council likes to refer to our days of carnage…." As Kat remained mute beside the vampire, urging him to continue, Angel related some of the tales of the 'good ole days' as Angelus would remember it. "We were pretty close, until Spike got it into his arrogant head to try and usurp my place in the group. He was very close to Dru, probably half-way in love with her, and he felt he should have her all to himself. That, and the curse of course, managed to drive a very big wedge between the four of us. We parted company, and hadn't seen each other since."  
  
"Until recently?" Kat asked, recalling the names Xander had used to describe Spike and Dru. Apparently the duo had managed to stop by Sunnydale in the past few years.  
  
Angel nodded, a rueful smile touching his lips. "Aye. Spike came swaggering into town, headstrong and cocky as you please. He changed over the years…he's even more rude and crude than he was when I first met him, and he seems to have developed a fascination with bleaching his hair…" A smile touched Kat's lips as she heard Angel go on, ranting about Spike's many new habits, all of them bad. Another minute went by before Angel realized she was still smiling. "What?"  
  
"You miss them." Her words were a statement, not a question, as she regarded the vampire softly. Angel stared at the young brunette, unable to speak as she continued. "They are you're family, so it's perfectly natural to miss them. No matter what they do, or how they stray, they are your family."  
  
Angel didn't know what to say…certainly no one had ever pretended to understand why he could miss his two childer so much, no matter if they were evil or no. Eyes bright with some unreadable emotion, Angel whispered a 'Thank you' to the insightful kitten. Seeing her return smile, he didn't bother to speak for a moment as they continued to walk, nearing the hotel where she was staying.  
  
* * * * * * * * *   
It wasn't until they had reached Kat's hotel room that Angel found his voice again. As she was turning the key in the lock, opening the door and preparing to go in, he cleared his throat. When she turned back around, he hesitated, and then asked the question he had been meaning to ask all night.   
  
"Tell me about your mother?"  
  
Kat winced inwardly as Angel's simple question brought up a barrage of images and emotions. Ouch, but he certainly knew the one question she would rather not answer. Leaning against the doorway, she pondered whether or not to tell him anything this night.   
  
'But that is hardly fair, considering what you asked him,' her mind chided her gently, forcing the brunette to agree reluctantly. Raising her eyes to meet his, Kat shrugged as calmly as possible. "What do you want to know?"  
  
Fearing he had asked the wrong question, Angel took an unneeded breath to steady himself. "What was she like?"  
  
A gentle smile graced Kat's lush lips as she thought of her mother. "She was probably the kindest person I had ever known. Willow kind of reminds me of her, always trying to help the ones she cares about." Wrapping her arms around herself, the delicate young woman stared off into space as she continued. "She hated to be a werecat I think, my mother did. She was a pacifist by nature, and she didn't like the bloodlust that comes with the curse. I think that's why she devoted her life to studying Egyptian curses…to find a way to cure us."   
  
Her eyes grew sad, then hardened, as she recalled the events of that fateful night she had learned of the curse. "I think that's why she didn't change, the night the vampires came. She couldn't bring herself to hate enough to bring the change upon herself, so she died unable to defend herself. I changed, but I was too late to save her." Swallowing hard around the lump in her throat, Kat's voice grew softer, more strained with the difficulty in maintaining her composure. "The last thing she told me was not to let hate cloud my destiny, whatever that means. Something about having hope."   
  
Angel's heart went out to the dark beauty in front of him. An aura of strength rolled off her in waves, and yet he saw the other side of her that few managed to see: the side that was still vulnerable and held such sadness. He wasn't surprised to find Kat wasn't so much as shedding a tear, though he knew she probably felt that way inside. It was just like the kitten to bottle up her emotions, to put up a front for the rest of the world…  
  
The silence that followed Kat's words was not nearly as tense as it had been, but it was still thick with unspoken words. Angel opened his mouth to say something, anything, only to have Kat reach up, pressing her delicate fingers to his lips to silence him. They stared at each other, blue-green eyes to chocolate ones, neither one speaking of the other things they wanted to say just then. Finally, softly, Kat smiled that special 'friend' smile she had given him before and, stretching up on her tiptoes, brushed her soft lips across his cheek. "Goodnight Angel," she whispered, "Thanks for listening." Before the vampire could respond she took a step back, backing into her hotel room and closing the door slowly, sealing the barrier between them.  
  
Staring at the door, Angel could barely comprehend what had just happened. His cheek near burned from the soft caress Kat's lips had given it and, had his hands been free, he would have touched that spot. Struggling to understand the mysterious brunette, as well as the feelings that were growing inside of him, the confused vampire backed away from the door in a daze, turning to begin the lonely walk back to his mansion. "Goodnight…Kitten." He whispered, his words hoarse as he disappeared into the night.  
  
* * * * * * * * *   
  
As she lay down in her bed, Kat stared up at the ceiling of her hotel room, replaying that scene outside her door over and over in her mind. A soft blush spread over her cheeks as she recalled the way his cheek felt against her lips: cool as marble, but good at the same time. Desperately she tried to think of something, anything other than her impulsive act.  
  
Her mother's face swam unbidden into the werecat's mind, causing a stab of pain and guilt to overcome her. Curling up on her side, the young woman reached out to the desk beside her bed, her hand curling around a small, leather-bound journal of some kind. Drawing it closer she clutched it to her breast, as if the words within would give her some small sense of comfort. Drawing her knees up into a fetal position, Kat trembled as her mind replayed her mother's death, the last words her mother had said as she lay dying in Kat's arms fresh in her mind.  
  
"Don't…don't fear, and don't hate my little kit-kat," her mother had said. "Hate will cloud your mind, and you may lose your only chance. Remember…Remember. Hope…rests in…angel's tear…" Kat was sure her mother was going to say more, but whatever she had been about to say was lost as death claimed the sweet woman before her time.  
  
Her eyes burned with the need to cry, but no tears fell down Kat's cheeks as she shivered in her bed, eyes staring blankly out into the darkness in her room. When sleep finally came to claim her, her last thought was of an odd note. 'My mother studied a lot about the curses…I wonder if she has anything on them in her journal.' Before she could explore that thought further, however, sleep hit with a vengeance, forcing the young brunette into the sweet oblivion of a dreamless sleep. Or so she hoped. 


	14. Dancing the Books Away

The days flowed swiftly, one into another, and two weeks passed as the Scoobies settled into something of a regular pattern. Every night they patrolled for a couple of hours, their strength as a team growing as trust began to develop among the group, even somewhat between Xander and Angel. Their mutual dislike was under an uneasy truce, one that seemed to become less fragile as the two men spent more time together. Xander came to appreciate Angel's contribution to the team, while Angel was highly impressed with the level of maturity that was developing in the young brunette as he patrolled nightly to keep his friends, and Sunnydale, safe from vampires. He still had a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but when it came to fighting Xander could become as serious as said vampire.  
  
Kat also changed over time, her attitude becoming less wary the more time she spent with Angel and the Scooby gang. While she was still a little reserved and kept some things to herself, her friendship with the group, and Willow in particular, caused the tiny brunette to become more open with her feelings. She smiled more, and her taunts with Angel were less biting than they had been when the two had first met. Even her friendship with the beauty queen Cordelia improved, though it was largely due to the improvement of Cordy's aim in battle. Day by day the bonds of trust grew within each of them, strengthening their friendship on and off patrol.  
  
On the weekends the group swung by the library for a round or two of research, pouring over the books for more references to the Heavenly Scrolls, Curses of Sakhmet, or anything that may shed some light on the prophecy they were trying to find. After telling the group about her mother's journal, Kat had turned it over to Giles for perusal. She had been reluctant to part with it, but it had been worth it when the librarian had discovered a passage in the leather-bound book that mentioned something about a holy triumvirate also being linked to the prophecy. With more information to go on, Willow continued her research on the Internet, while Giles poured through Ahmose Akensakhmet's journal for more references to the prophecy. Thus it was on a Saturday night that six people were sprawled out in the library, quietly trying to piece together yet another ancient prophecy. The quiet was shortly interrupted by an exclamation from Xander, shooting to his feet with a rather dusty book in his hands.  
  
"Guys, I think I found something!" Fairly wiggling in place, the young man proceeded to read a passage from the book he held. "…the holy triumvirate warned of a time when darkness would come to devour the light, a time of great choosing. 'If choice be wrong, Light's hope grows dim. Pain and suffering shall reign again.'" Glancing up, Xander looked over at Giles. "Yo G-Man…think that's what we're looking for?"  
  
Before Giles could correct the clueless young man about his name, Willow stood up as well, her head bobbing up and down in agreement with her childhood friend. "It might be. It certainly seems to fit with the information I just discovered." Pointing to the computer screen, Willow moved aside as Giles came over to peer at the words printed there.  
  
"Hmm, you could be right Willow," Giles murmured as he glanced at the translation she had so far. "Hate which beget love will again beget hate. Be warned! The choosing is at hand." Straightening, the librarian pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Well it certainly seems to fit with what we have so far. Cordelia, would you…" He didn't need to finish his statement, as the tall brunette was already over at the whiteboard they had erected near the cage, writing the latest piece of the puzzle on its surface. Kat watched with something akin to a heavy heart, her eyes roaming over the entire board as she took in the pieces they had so far. Her lips moved silently as she read the words to herself:  
  
"Fang and talon, devil and daemon   
Summoned near by witch's power   
Shall meet under full moon's light.  
Hate and distrust shall abound.  
While in the darkness the green-eyed   
monster doth loom.  
hate which beget love   
will again beget hate.   
Be warned! The choosing is at hand.  
If choice be wrong   
Light's hope grows dim   
Pain and suffering shall reign again.  
And the cursed shall become the gifted."  
  
Angel watched as Kat's eyes grew stormy, a dark green that looked somewhat troubled. Concerned for his friend the vampire came up to stand beside her. When she turned in his direction, her gaze traveling up to his face, he asked her gently, "Are you ok Kitten?"  
  
Sighing, Kat glanced back at the board before shaking her head slowly. "No, I'm not. This whole 'prophecy' thing is creeping the hell out of me Angel." Her lips twisting into a sort of mock smile, she looked back up at him. "I don't exactly feel comforted by something that mentions being devoured by darkness, or anything regarding pain and suffering."  
  
Seeing the vulnerability flash, however briefly, in the kitten's eyes Angel moved closer. Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, he smiled softly down at her. "But it's not all pain Kitten." Raising his arm, he pointed to the last line they had uncovered so far. "It mentions the curse becoming a gift…doesn't the thought of finding a way around your curse make you happy?"  
  
Kat bit her lip, her thoughts awhirl as she stared at the last line jutting out at her. Truth be told, she had mixed feelings about finding a cure for her curse. She couldn't tell the others, not even Willow who was quickly becoming her best friend, that there were times she loved being the panther. It was part of her, and she couldn't imagine a life where she wasn't part of it either. Sensing that Angel was waiting for an answer however, she shrugged noncommittally. "I guess so." she replied, her voice a soft, husky whisper.  
  
Angel stared down at the trouble young woman for a moment, wondering what to say to her odd comment, when Xander's voice rang out in the library. "G-man it's almost nine already. How about we call it a night?"  
  
Exasperated, Giles sighed, removing his glasses before glaring at the young man. "Giles Xander, Giles…I wish you would desist with this appalling habit of calling me 'G-man.' However, I believe I see your point." he added as he glanced around at the room full of teenagers. While they were holding up ok, they needed an outlet for their frustration over this difficult prophecy. And if he didn't let them escape soon, they would blow a collective fuse. Replacing the glasses on his nose, he waved them off with a hand. "Go. We'll pick this up again next week." Four groans were all the response he got, but he smiled as the group began to pack up for the night.   
  
Warriors they might be, they still behaved like teenagers from time to time. He was glad that the serious nature of their work didn't take away from the last remaining years of their childhood. As they left the library he watched with sad eyes, hoping that they would be able to hold onto it just a little bit longer. He had a feeling bad things were ahead, for all of them. With a heavy heart the Watcher, guardian of them all, sighed and began to pick up the books spread out all over the library by his resilient, if wayward, charges.  
  
Outside the hallowed halls of Sunnydale High, Xander and Cordy seemed anxious to get on with another one of their favorite pastimes for a Saturday night. Kat and her redheaded friend were also ready to release some of their pent-up energy, but first their night had to begin with the usual ritual: Pesky Witch versus Stubborn Vampire!  
  
"Please Angel?" Voice soft and pleading, lip thrust out in a cute pout.  
  
"No," in a firm tone of denial.  
  
"Why not?" Irritation creeping into pouty voice.  
  
"I don't want to."  
  
"But…" and the battle of wills continued, while Kat, Xander, and Cordy watched on in a mixture of boredom and thinly veiled interest. It was the same thing every time: Willow begged and pleaded, and for some unfathomable reason Angel was able to resist the hacker's infamous 'resolve face' time and time again. The vampire continued to defy her every attempt to get him to join them at the Bronze for unwinding, his reasons for not going more than just a deep aversion to dancing teenagers and loud music. He couldn't go there, not while a part of him still felt pain at the thought of Buffy. And he knew that just being there, at the Bronze, would spark memories he wasn't sure he was ready to face.  
  
Her face red with barely suppressed anger, as it usually was when she fought with Angel over this issue; Willow turned and pointed at Kat. "YOU! Talk some sense into this...this...vampire!"   
  
Kat raised her eyebrow slowly, her face neutral as she shook her head. "I don't think so Wills. I'm not about to fight this battle for you." Seeing Angel's shoulders sag in relief triggered something inside of Kat however. A slow smile crept onto her lips as she continued. "If Tall, Dark, and Broody wants to scowl at the walls in his house, so be it. Me, I'm going to…what was it you called it Xander?" she asked, turning her head briefly to glance at him, "shake loose those inner demons through live music and funky dancing?"   
  
Kat wasn't aware of the golden gleam that flickered in Angel's eyes, but Willow saw it. As Kat and Xander talked about dancing, the redhead sidled closer to the vampire and, pitching her voice low for his ears only, whispered, "All the guys stare at her whenever we're there, she hates it so much. Xander tries to help by being protector of us girls, but everyone knows he and Cordy are an item." Willow trailed off, a secret smile touching her lips as a low growl issued from the vampire's throat. The idea of Kat being leered at like a piece of meat didn't sit well him. The redhead cheered inwardly at the display of emotions that flickered over her friend's normally stoic face. 'Willow three, clueless couple zero.' Speaking up for all members present, she repeated her question. "So, you coming or not Angel?"  
  
"All right Little One, you win," his voice, rather than sounding defeated, seemed oddly tense. A shocked silence fell over the group, and the other three stared at the vampire like he had grown a second head. "I'll go."  
  
Cordelia was the first one to speak this time, asking the first question that popped into her head. "Does this mean you're going to start dancing or something?"  
  
Angel's face pulled down into one of Kat's favorite expressions of displeasure: a deep scowl. His voice contained more than a hint of outrage as he ground out slowly between clenched teeth, "I. Do. Not. Dance."  
  
"Sure, Hot Stuff," the ex cheerleader scoffed. "That's what Miss Kitty said, but you should see her now!" Getting in the last word, the ex-cheerleader turned and, grabbing Xander's hand; dragged him in the direction of the Bronze. Kat and Willow followed, with a grumbling vampire trailing behind them.   
  
He wasn't sure he wanted to see Kat dancing, or her doing anything that remotely reminded him of the way Buffy had danced: a seductive siren who enslaved any man with the wave of her hand. He still had nightmares about the time he saw the Slayer dancing with Xander.   
  
'If Kitten dances like that with Xander, I don't know if I could take it," Angel growled to himself, his eyes flashing even more golden as he followed the group of teenagers to their favorite place to relax. 'She better not dance with him…'  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
'Well,' Angel thought dryly to himself fifteen minutes later as he sat at a table in the Bronze, 'I've got to hand it to her…whatever the kitten is doing with Xander, it certainly can NOT be called dancing.' He fought the urge to smirk as he watched the pair do their own version of dancing, if it could be called that. A mismatch of moshing, belly dancing, and contortions, Kat and Xander grooved to the beat of an altogether different drummer as the music in the Bronze throbbed and pulsed around them.  
  
Abandoned by Cordy, who had managed to disappear not five seconds after they entered the room, and Willow, who seemed to be trying out her budding flirting skills on the bartender, the dark-haired vampire was left with nothing better to do than watch as Kat and Xander continued to gyrate on the dance floor. His chocolate eyes sparkled in amusement as they ignored the rude stares of the club's patrons. The music, combined with his attempts not to laugh, managed to change the vampire's opinion about coming out with the group tonight to unwind. Inwardly he chuckled at the choice of song the two brunettes were bouncing to.  
  
'How many people want to kick some ass…how appropriate,' he chuckled silently, his attention so focused on watching the kitten that he missed the presence of another sitting down beside him. "It's hard to imagine something that's so graceful, dancing so," he murmured to himself, searching for the right word.   
  
"…Xander-like?" Whirling around, Angel stiffened, only to relax as Cordy smirked back at him. "Surprised?" The ex-cheerleader smiled, watching the duo on the dance floor without a shred of jealousy marring her features. "Don't be. They do this every time we come here; it's like some kind of ritual with her I think." The song started to wind down, and as it drew to a close and the rhythm-impaired duo headed back to the table Cordelia continued. "She says it helps, but personally I don't think anything could help that poor girl."  
  
Raising his eyebrow, Angel was about to ask Cordy what she meant by that when he spied Kat and Xander out of the corner of his eye, nearing the table. Willow was also fast approaching, the drinks she ordered balanced precariously on a tray as she made her way back. Fighting to keep his smile friendly rather than obnoxious, the vampire greeted them as they approached, his voice betraying the amusement he fought to conceal. "So, did you two have fun?"  
  
Xander just grinned, nodding his head while Kat frowned, her eyes narrowing in defensive suspicion. "What?" she retorted, her arms coming up in classic hellcat posture, folding over her chest as she glared down at the grinning vampire. "Did I miss something?"  
  
"Only a class on dancing tips," Angel quipped, unable to resist taunting the kitten about her abilities on the dance floor. He noticed her eyes darkening in warning, but plunged on ruthlessly, his fangs glinting slightly as he continued to make fun of her abilities. "I can't believe someone as graceful in battle as you could be so…incredibly bad when it comes to dancing." A snort issued from Cordelia, though whether or not it was an attempt to hold laughter back he couldn't be sure. Xander chuckled, apparently unfazed by Angel's opinion of his or Kat's dancing. The petite young woman who had been his partner was not so forgiving, her lips pulling down into a frown as she glared at first Cordy, then the vampire who started all the trouble.  
  
"For your information 'Fangs'," ignoring Angel's own scowl at the nickname she threw at the vampire, "I can dance, very well in fact. I just choose to do otherwise." He didn't look convinced however.  
  
"Sure 'Kitten'," stressing his own pet name for her," whatever you say. Although I've never known a woman to dance badly on purpose before." His voice must have betrayed much of his doubt in her abilities, because the tiny woman bristled in indignation. Beside her Willow wore a similar expression, her desire to see those two together temporarily overridden by her protective nature regarding her friends. Setting the drinks down on the table with a thunk, Willow stepped closer to the surprised vampire. Hands on her hips, she spoke up in her friend's defense.  
  
"Kat is too a good dancer! She even taught Cordy and I a few things. Just because she feels that…" the brunette she was advocating cut her off with a gesture, stepping around the redhead to stand in front of Angel. Shooting a glance back at Willow, she shook her head. "Don't bother explaining Wills," she whispered, turning back to face the curious vampire. Her lips curved upwards as an idea began to form in her mind. Her eyes glinted in malicious glee, an eerie green that caused Angel to grow a little uncomfortable in her prolonged silence. As the brunette tilted her head to the side, she spoke softly. "I guess I'll just have to prove him wrong." And just like that she whirled about, walking away from the stunned group. As she walked away she grabbed Willow's arm, dragging the bewildered redhead through the press of bodies in the Bronze, toward the entrance.   
  
Angel and Xander watched as the pair stalked off, similar expressions of confusion etched on the two men's faces. As they tried to puzzle out Kat's logic, a chuckle jarred both vampire and teenager out of their musings. Turning, they glanced over at Cordy, who couldn't hold back her delight any longer.  
  
"You two have NO idea what she's up to, do you?" Taking almost sadistic delight in their discomfort, Cordy stood, shaking her head at the poor fools. "Oh this is going to be good. I just hope I'm there to see it." Without shedding any light regarding Kat's mysterious words, the beauty queen grabbed her purse, intending to follow the werecat and hacker. Before she could go, however, a cold firm hand clamped down on her wrist. Glancing down in irritation, Cordy's dark eyes met Angel's firm ones. The vampire gritted his teeth as he held her fast, wanting answers.  
  
"What did she mean, that she'll have to prove me wrong?" the vampire ground out slowly, frustrated with women and their unholy secrets. Cordelia struggled to get out of his grasp, glaring at Xander for support. Before he could protest, however, Angel fired another question at the ex-cheerleader. "And just what did you mean when you said that dancing like that helped the kitten hmm?" His eyes glittering, Angel's features pulled into something akin to Willow's resolve face. Cordelia swallowed, knowing she wouldn't get free without offering him some sort of explanation. So the cheerleader did the only thing she could do when faced with a possible threat: she got bitchy.  
  
"Well what do you think I meant," she snapped, the force of her outburst enough to shock the vampire into freeing her wrist. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she glared down at him, continuing in her rant. "My god, don't tell me your so blind you didn't notice how all the guys stare at her when she comes in here? She keeps to herself, so she has that whole mystery thing going for her, and she refuses to dance with anyone, so she's become something of a challenge around here."   
  
Only a hint of jealousy over sharing the spotlight with her friend was betrayed in Cordy's voice as she spoke. "Plus, if you haven't noticed you obtuse bloodsucker, her clothing isn't exactly concealing now is it? Those tight tops, the hip hugging pants, they may not be all the rage, but they certainly have the male population panting like dogs in heat. And you wonder why she prances about with Xander, purposely making herself look foolish?" Cordy snorted, this time in anger and not amusement. "I'm all for teasing, but at least I know what the truth is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go help Ms. Claws in her little revenge scheme." With that, the tall beauty queen whirled about; stalking off in the same direction Kat and Willow had gone, leaving a speechless Angel in the not-so-capable hands of Xander.  
  
Angel stared off into space, his mind awhirl as he heard Cordy's voice echo in his mind. Kitten, purposely trying to keep the pawing masses away by scary dance moves? The rational, ruthless part of his mind piped up. 'She did say that she was a good dancer, but that she chose not to be.' A tiny trickle of worry wormed its way inside of Angel, spreading to his eyes as he turned to look at Xander. He tried to keep the worry out of his voice as he asked, "It's not true is it? Can she really dance?"  
  
Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Xander shrugged. "I don't know man," he answered honestly, shaking his head. "But I do know something."  
  
"What's that?" Angel asked, confusion in his voice.  
  
"We are screwed." Looking back to the entrance of the Bronze, Angel had a feeling that Xander might just be right.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
"Kat, let go of me!" Willow fairly shrieked, attempting to wrestle her arm away from the smaller, but far stronger, young woman. As the brunette relinquished her arm Willow stood rock still on the sidewalk, trying to figure out what Kat was up to. The green-eyed brunette was certainly up to something…the glint in her eyes and the near malicious grin proved that much. Folding her dainty arms over her chest, the redhead glared at her friend. "Alright, 'fess up! What are you up to?"  
  
Her smile widening, Kat tried her best to pull one of Willow's 'innocent looks.' "I don't know what you mean," she replied smugly, her rage moments before replaced by giddy scheming. Finally noticing the flicker of uncertainty in her companion's eyes, she lowered her enthusiasm. Her smile slipping a notch, the brunette finally answered Willow's question. "He doesn't think I can dance, then fine. I'm going to prove it to him. And you're going to help me."  
  
"What do you mean, what are you…" the green-eyed hacker paused, trailing off as her mind clicked onto what Kat was trying to say. Eyes widening, she looked to the brunette in wonderment. "You don't mean what I think you mean, do you?"  
  
"Sure do!"  
  
Instead of getting angry or looking worried, like Kat expected, Willow clapped her hands together, bouncing up and down in unconcealed delight. "Excellent!" Her eyes shined brightly as she grabbed the werecat's hands, continuing to jump up and down with excitement. "Oh please oh please, I'd love to help! I can't wait to see his face!" A hysterical giggle escaped the hacker's lips as she thought about how much they were going to shock the unsuspecting vampire.  
  
"Neither can I." Both young women turned at the sound of another voice, coming face to face with a grinning Cordy as the taller woman strode up to them. "Angel is so in need of a wake up call. But I want in."  
  
Raising her eyebrow, Kat regarded the ex-cheerleader curiously. "Why?"  
  
"Because that overbearing, demanding vampire needs to learn a few manners when it comes to ladies," flipping her hair over her shoulder as she recalled how he had demanded she answer his questions. A slow smile akin to Kat's malicious one grew on the brunette's lips as she added, "Plus Xander deserves a shock or two, and I want to be the one to give it to him."  
  
Not bothering to ask why Cordy wanted to put Xander through that kind of hell, Kat just grinned and nodded. "Okay girls, what do you say? Operation Dance of Torment underway?" Two heads nodded in emphatic agreement, and Kat's smile grew wider in anticipation. As the girls went off into the night to plot their revenge, her last thought was on the vampire and what they had in store for him.  
  
'Angel it's a good thing you're dead,' she thought evilly, 'because if you weren't, this might just kill you.' She didn't question the tremor of excitement that went through her as she thought about his reaction to her plans…to dance the cynicism right out of him. 


	15. Lullaby

Wednesday night rolled around, and as Angel walked toward the library after sunset he breathed a sigh of relief. Four days, during which time he had expected some sort of revenge from the kitten and her two cohorts. But so far they had acted as if nothing was wrong; even Willow, whose lack of skills in the art of lying were legendary among the Scoobies, acted as though the entire incident at the Bronze was entirely forgotten. The vampire figured that, if they hadn't done anything by now, then he was safe. 'After all, he chuckled silently, 'it's not like the kitten is known for her patience.'  
  
Hearing footsteps just ahead, Angel put his thoughts about troublesome kittens out of his mind and glanced up to see who was nearby. His lips twitched into a friendly smile as he recognized Xander's lean frame. Slowing his lengthy stride, Angel called out to the teenager. "Hello Xander." As the teen turned around, Angel raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you with Cordelia?"  
  
Shifting from foot to foot nervously, Xander shrugged and grinned. "She ditched me for 'girl-time,' whatever that means." His smile melted away as a look of worry flickered over the brunette's features. "Do you think they're getting ready to ambush us?"  
  
Angel chuckled at the idea, shaking his head. "I don't think they're going to do anything Xander, it's been what, three days now? Four? I'm sure they forgot about it already." But the teenaged boy couldn't so easily dismiss the idea.   
  
"I don't know Angel man. You may be older than dirt, but you're just as in the dark about women as us living men." Xander tried to shake the 'wiggy feeling' he was getting, but he had a bad feeling about going into the high school. He was so engrossed in his internal worries that he missed Angel's scowl at the old man reference. The disgruntled vampire opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of someone clearing their throat lodged any complaints in the vampire's mouth. Turning, both young men regarded Giles as he stood there, watching them with a puzzled look on his British features.  
  
"Is something amiss?" As the two dark-haired young men looked at each other, they shook their heads slowly. Unconvinced, Giles looked first at Angel, then at Xander, as if seeking some answers as to why they would be standing outside of the library, with Xander looking as if he was walking into Hell…literally. When no answers were forthcoming he continued. "Right. Now then, how about we move this into the library? Things that go bump in the night and all that." And with that Giles ushered the other two up the steps and into the school before Xander could think of a word of protest. As the doors closed behind them the sound echoed through the silent halls, like the final rap of a hammer as it nails the lid on a coffin.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
Angel knew something was wrong the moment they reached the doors to the library. He could smell the women inside the room, but for some reason not a sound issued beyond the solid wooden doors. His senses on full alert, the vampire motioned silently for Giles and Xander to hold up. From the look on the young teenager's face, Angel knew Xander felt uneasy as well. His face a cold mask of determination, Angel inched slowly forward, placing his hand on the door. He pressed his ear to the door, frowning as he strained to hear within. Someone shuffled their feet, but otherwise all was silent within. Apprehensive, the vampire stepped back, staring at the door as if it was the Gates of Hell.  
  
Meanwhile Giles, who had up to this point been patient with the bizarre behavior exhibited by Angel and the Twinkie-junkie Xander, was clearly reaching his limit. "What the devil is going on here?" Giving them both a severe look, the librarian pushed his way forward, moving toward the library doors. Angel moved to stop him, but the watcher merely glared at him and, muttering something about bloody hellmouth and its idiotic effect on people, barged into the library.   
  
For a moment the other two men just stood there, feet frozen in place, as they waited for some sound to issue from behind the solid wooden doors. Suddenly a thud was heard from within, muffled by the doors, but identifiable as the librarian's satchel hitting the floor. Exchanging worried glances, Angel and Xander rushed into the library to see what had caused Giles to drop his briefcase…and froze at the sight they beheld.  
  
On the other side of the room the women perched, having waited for the men to arrive. The gods of makeup and tight clothing had transformed them from pretty into seductive; bewitching sirens with powers to ensnare the minds of wayward men...in this case, the three men who stood near the doors, paralyzed by shock and bewilderment. Light filtered in from the back, caressing and enhancing the figures of the young women as they posed by the railing on the far end of the library. One of the women, a petite brunette who crouched on the railing with feline grace, slowly began to rise. No longer just the girl known as Kat, the dark-haired vixen eyed her prey, a sensual smile gracing her lush lips as she noted their unease. Glancing first to her right, then her left, she gave her sisters of seduction, who were poised on each side of the stairs, an unspoken signal to begin.  
  
With a hint of a smile on her own dainty lips, the sultry redhead poised on Kat's right began to move her arms, gesturing intricately in the air with her fingers. As she ended with a snap, Angel and the other two found themselves unable to move, caught in her web of paralysis. This was the signal for the taller brunette to move, bending at the waist to press a button on the c.d. player at her feet. Sweet strains of a sultry song filled the air, preceding the women as they came to life before the men's eyes.  
  
Cordelia and Willow floated down the steps, each walking sensuously toward their intended prey. Behind them Kat stretched, leaping from the railing to crouch on the wooden table in front of her. Exuding all the grace and flexibility that was inherent in her panther form, the vixen crawled down the length of the table, sliding off to stand at the end, her swirling green eyes fixating on the handsome vampire a few feet in front of her.   
  
Just cause I'm small, can't hurt you at all  
I'm only a girl, what to do?  
Let me sing my song for you  
Not many can  
resist my command  
I know just how to get to you  
Let me sing  
my song for you  
  
The luscious ladies reached the men as the words began to pour over them, pulsing and throbbing to a beat as old as time. As they stood in front of each man, the women began to exact their revenge. Slowly, sinuously, they began to dance, their bodies undulating with the music. Kat stood directly in front of Angel, her eyes locked onto his as her luscious lips mouthed the words of the song. One dainty finger trailed down his face, tracing his jaw line and continuing on down, dragging against the material of his t-shirt as she ran her finger down his chest. Even without the paralysis spell, the ensouled vampire would have found it hard to move, as he was captivated by the spell this tiny woman was weaving before him with her body and her eyes.  
  
When you lay down late at night  
I'm the siren you can't fight  
I know you don't stand a chance  
There is nothing you can do  
Once I put my spell on you  
When I sing my lullaby  
Lullaby  
Lullaby  
Lullaby  
When I sing for you my lullaby  
  
As her arms came over her head and her curvaceous body twisted and dipped, Angel got a good glimpse at the enticing outfit she wore, which propelled all her movements into the realm of eroticism. Unlike the apparel Buffy had always worn, blatantly sexual and leaving nothing to the imagination; Kat was wearing the perfect combination of sexual and sensual clothing. A combination halter/corset top framed her beautifully shaped upper body. Her breasts were caught in burgundy velvet cups of material that ended as straps that tied at the nape of her graceful neck.  
  
The soft look of the velvet pleaded for one to touch, an urge that was swiftly countered by the bottom half of the shirt: a black leather corset. The leather was smooth as the velvet, but pulled taut across the brunette's ribs. A sweet looking bow tie rested between Kat's breasts. The enticing top stopped abruptly just above the woman's navel, and a wide swath of pale skin was laid bare between the edge of the top and the waistline of the jazz pants that completed the ensemble.   
  
Settled low on her hips to begin with, the form fitting black pants had a waistline that dipped in a gentle vee, both front and back. The stretchy material hugged the brunette's lush curves and displayed her assets to their best advantage while also allowing Kat to move with her usual lithe, predatory grace. They also gave the engrossed vampire a very good view of her tattoo, as the werewoman twisted around in front of him; the hieroglyphs seemed to have a life of their own, hypnotizing Angel with the rise and fall of her hips as they rolled before his eyes. Turning to face him once more, Kat's lips continued to hold the vampire in thrall as she sung silently along with Willa Ford.  
  
Ohhhh  
Now that you see  
It wasn't a dream  
Reality got the best of you  
Told ya boy, I will come after you  
Now it's too late  
Can't hesitate,  
To hide this fate with deja vu  
Watch out, boy, I'm coming for you  
  
The kitten continued to dance before Angel, holding his attention fast as she gazed into his eyes. The vampire was only peripherally aware that Xander and Giles were being tormented as thoroughly as he was, for his warm chocolate eyes were focused solely on the dark-haired seductress who swayed before him. She continued to lip-sync to the alluring strains of the song as she pressed up against his cool body. The warmth of her body combined with her graceful movements to set his nerve endings ablaze. The blood he had drunk earlier began to roar in his ears as the song reached its climax.  
  
In your sleep  
It's got you so deep,  
My sweet melody  
Has captured you  
Forevermore…  
  
Lullaby  
Lullaby  
Lullaby  
When I sing for you my lullaby  
Sing my lullaby...  
  
As the song faded away into silence, Angel found the fetching kitten pressed tightly up against his well-muscled body, her hands resting lightly against his waist. Her eyes stared intently into his for a moment, swirling pools of light the color of a stormy sea. She stretched up suddenly, achingly slow as her body brushed against his, till her lips were positioned against his ear. Her warm breath fanned the hairs around his earlobe, making the vampire shudder deliciously as she whispered is a husky voice, "Gotcha Fangs." He felt her smile against his ear before her head moved, leaning back in order to gauge his reaction to her little scheme. Unable to control himself he growled possessively, his eyes igniting in a golden blaze as he tried in vain to grab her with his own hands.  
  
Her lips quirking into a smile more typical of the werecat, Kat turned her head to speak to Willow, only to find the devious hacker was still pressed up against their librarian, continuing to torment him with a view of her own attributes. Kat felt a tiny stab of pity for the British man, who looked ready to keel over from a heart attack. "Hey Wills, think you can unfreeze them now? They look about ready to faint!" She tried to keep the amusement from creeping into her voice, but a trace of it came through nonetheless.  
  
"Oh yea," the usually eloquent hacker replied, giggling at the looks on the men's faces as she waved her hands in the air, effectively releasing them from the spell she had labored for days to master, just for this prank. She bit her lip to keep from busting out laughing as Giles stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over his satchel in the process. Stammering like mad, the librarian took his glasses off, polished them feverishly, then put them back on to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. An inarticulate sound rose from the British man's throat, his eyes widening as he got another glimpse of Willow's own tight top and pants.  
  
"I uh..that is...excuse me," the watcher stammered further, fleeing into the safety of his office and sealing himself off from the rest of the gang with the slam of his door. Cordelia chuckled, sharing an amused glance with the red-faced but delighted Willow before focusing on her boyfriend once more.   
  
Xander blinked once, twice, three times as his brain tried to process what just happened here. His dark eyes remained focused on his girlfriend's body, recalling the way she had danced against him. Certainly the usually prim and proper cheerleader had never danced like that before! Admiration gleamed in the teen's eyes as he regarded his high-maintenance girlfriend in a new light. Fast as he could, Xander grabbed her wrist, delighting in the surprise that flickered in her features. Tugging her closer, he whispered in Cordelia's ear softly, then began to drag the cheerleader away from the group, heading for the doors.  
  
Willow watched as Xander and Cordelia disappeared from sight, her lips twitching with laughter as she contemplated briefly where her childhood friend was taking his girlfriend. 'Closet here we come!' she snickered mentally, her eyes moving away from the swinging doors of the library, coming to rest on the only pair remaining. The laughter faded in the hacker's emerald eyes, replaced by a tender look as she regarded the werecat and vampire who stood off to one side, Kat's arms still encircled around Angel's neck.  
  
'They look so cute together,' the hacker sighed mentally, moving away to give them a little bit of privacy. Her computer was calling, as the redhead settled down to see if she could find a few more lines of prophecy before they headed out for patrol. 'Guess it's you and me tonight friend,' she mused softly, booting up the computer and resting her head in her hands. Her eyes flickered over to Kat and Angel, and she sighed once more. 'I need a life.'  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
Kat watched Angel for any sign of a reaction to her little surprise. Her lips twitched as she felt him breathe, despite the lack of necessity on his part. His hands had come around to settle on her waist, with or without his knowledge she was uncertain, but a slight tendril of pleasure trickled through her at the feeling of his cool hands against the flesh exposed between her top and her pants. The petite brunette fought to keep from shivering as she watched the golden swirl in his normally dark eyes as it flared and dimmed, flashing intently through emotions she couldn't quite catch. Still smiling, she raised an eyebrow at Angel. "Well?" she prompted softly, waiting for a response from the silent vampire.  
  
Angel expelled all the air he had been inhaling, chuckling nervously to dispel the tension building up inside of the bewildered vampire. His eyes dimmed in their intensity, though not in their warmth, as he watched her own bright orbs sparkle in merriment. "Point taken Kitten. Next time I'll be careful to watch what I say about you."  
  
Smirking at her complete victory over the hapless vampire, Kat shrugged seemingly in innocence. "What can I say…I'm just full of surprises." An uneasy silence descended on the pair, making them painfully aware of how close they were. In an attempt to break the tension, Kat said the next thing that popped in her head. "Think you'll swing by the Bronze with us tonight after patrol? Willow and Cordy are sure to go, if for no other reason than to show off their new outfits."   
  
Kat grinned as she imagined how the male populace of the club would react to their attire, not realizing that Angel was scowling as a similar image popped into his head. Only he wasn't thinking of a hacker or a cheerleader, but the effect a certain werecat was sure to have on the pups of the Bronze if she showed up in her too-revealing top. That image, coupled with several of her dancing at the Bronze like she had here, clawed at his mind in jealous zeal. A low rumble began in his throat, causing the tiny brunette he was holding to look at him in confusion.  
  
"Something wrong?" she murmured, but Angel just shook his head, releasing her waist and taking a quick step backward as he tried to banish the unwelcome thoughts from his mind. His fierce scowl seemingly directed at Kat, he glared at her for a moment before muttering under his breath.  
  
"We should get going." Whirling around, the vampire stalked out of the library like the hounds of Hell were on his heels, leaving a perplexed young woman standing in the middle of the room, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. She stayed there as Willow, having witnessed that last little bit, came around the table to stand beside her friend, concern and thought etched on her elfin face.  
  
"Uh…what was that all about Wills?" Kat turned to the redhead for anything that would explain Angel's bizarre mood swings. One minute he looked ready to kiss her, the next he glared at the werecat and stalked off in a foul mood. Her confusion only heightened when Willow giggled, shaking her head in amusement.  
  
"He has some things to work out," Willow tried to explain, unconsciously choosing words Kat herself had used when Willow had inquired about why the brooding vampire had been avoiding her. She knew the real reason that Angel had bolted, but she wasn't sure her friend was ready to deal with the implications. Neither one seemed ready to admit they were developing feelings for the other. 'It'll happen though, and soon from the looks of it,' she pondered with a soft smile. Shaking her fiery head to clear her thoughts, Willow slipped her arm through Kat's, smiling brightly. "Why don't we go beat up on some poor, helpless vampires in order to clear our minds?"  
  
Chuckling, Kat nodded as she allowed Willow to drag her to the wooden doors. "Alright Wills, you win. Therapy via vampire smashing...sounds good to me." Smiling, the two friends walked out of the library, but not before Willow glanced over at the door leading to Giles' office. Calling out a cheery goodbye, the mischievous hacker giggled hysterically as they heard an answering grumbled stammer, causing her dark-haired friend to cover her face with her hands. The last words that echoed in the library came from Kat, who bemoaned ever teaching Willow to express herself more.  
  
"Oh lord, I've created a monster." 


	16. Walking a Fine Line

'Maybe Wills and I should rethink our idea of therapy,' Kat thought wryly, ducking and spinning under a vampire arm as it flung out at her face. Her arms came up to block its next blow, but not fast enough to keep his left hand from getting close. The werecat hissed in discomfort as the vampire's claws came into contact with her cheek, scratching a faint line into her pale skin. Thoroughly pissed, the tiny brunette brought her leg up, swinging it around into a roundhouse to kick the vampire to the ground in a fit of anger. A quick stab later and dust was all that remained…of that vampire at least.  
  
'One down, several to go,' her thoughts strayed as her eyes instantly sought out her companions. The group had managed to locate a 'small' vampire nest, and it was almost more than they could handle. Angel was holding off two at the moment, while Xander was going toe to toe with a big ugly brute. Back to back Willow and Cordelia stood, holding off as many vampires as they could with their deadly crossbows.   
  
Kat barely had time to process this information before another cold body slammed into hers, causing her to fall backwards to the ground. Reacting on instinct, the brunette grabbed the vampire by the front of its shirt, pulling her feet up to kick out, causing it to be catapulted back off of her. Scrambling to her feet, Kat brought her arms up defensively as the vampire rose from the ground in one fluid motion. It swung with its right hand, intending to feint while bringing its left hand around to catch her unawares. Her arm coming up to block the right hand as it came at her, Kat caught the flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. Her panther instincts in full swing, she ducked under his punch, twisting her arm to her side and propelling the stake in her hand upward, driving it through the vampire's rib cage before it could take a step back.   
  
Just as it exploded, Kat heard Willow let out a curse of irritation. Surprised that her normally polite hacker friend was resorting to foul language, the brunette whirled around…and cursed herself. Willow's crossbow had snagged somehow, leaving the redhead vulnerable to attack. Cordelia was fending off the vampires as well as she could with her own crossbow, but it was obvious that she was too preoccupied with keeping some of them at bay to assist the redhead. Already vampires were moving into place to take advantage of their misfortune; three or four of them were circling around to Willow's blind spot, ready to pounce any second now.  
  
The perilous situation her two friends were in spurred Kat into decisive action. Without a moment's thought the werecat ran in Cordy and Willow's direction, borrowing speed from her panther side to propel her forward. As she drew closer she saw Willow, struggling with the triggering mechanism, glance over her shoulder and spy the vampires closing in on her. Kat watched as the redhead paled, releasing the crossbow with one hand and reaching for the vials of holy water she kept at her side. The young woman didn't stand a chance against that many vampires, but she was willing to take a few with her as she died.  
  
Fear shot through the tiny brunette as she saw the look of determination flicker over Willow's features, something equivalent to her 'resolve face.' Images of her mother flashing before her eyes, Kat growled and called out to her friend as she drew near the vampires and her two friends.  
  
"Willow, DUCK!" Wordlessly Willow obeyed the werecat's sharp command, flattening herself to the ground as Kat leapt over the redhead. Kicking out to each side, she caught two of the vampires off guard before landing in the midst of the pack. Her fists went flying, catching another in the face before the forth slammed into her from behind, and forcing the tiny brunette to the ground in a tangle of arms, legs, and hisses. She struggled to free herself, but a stray elbow caught her in the side of the head and her vision swam. Her last thought before the darkness enveloped her was that she was in deep, deep trouble.   
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
Finally dusting the last vampire he had been fighting, Angel heard Kat call out to Willow and whirled around just in time to see the daring werecat plunge herself directly into the middle of the vampire group that had surrounded Cordy and Willow. An inarticulate sound of dismay was ripped from his throat as he watched her go down, tackled from behind by one of the vampires and becoming entangled with the rest on the ground. When she was struck in the head by an arm, the sound became a full-fledged cry.  
  
"NOOO!" The cry came out at the forefront of a deep-throated roar of fury, causing even the vampires to pause in their attack. They watched in horror as the world-renowned Angel of Death ran toward them at full speed, fear for his friend driving him to the limit. He crossed the yards that separated him from his foes in a matter of seconds.  
  
Before the vampires could make a move to untangle themselves and run he was upon them, picking them up by whatever appendage he could grab and literally throwing them off of the tiny brunette. Xander, Cordelia, and Willow sprang into action, staking or shooting each body as it hit the ground. Finally, when he reached the bottom of the pile, Angel uncovered Kat, who was just starting to rouse. Quickly he took stock of her injuries, a growl rumbling deep in his chest as he caught the faint scent of blood from the scratch on her pale face.  
  
As he watched her begin to stir, the rage he felt at seeing her go down did not dissipate. Rather, it burned with even greater intensity as he thought of all the things that could have happened to her had he not gotten there fast enough. Angel's eyes glowed in feral brightness as he thought about all the risks she took in battle, and the way she put herself in danger in order to protect others. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, the vampire swore darkly to have a few words with the kitten about her fighting style.  
  
'I will not watch you die because of some reckless act of yours kitten,' he vowed, seething in rage as he watched the tiny werecat begin to open her eyes.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
Kat moaned, feeling as if a runaway truck had just knocked the wind out of her. Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times to clear away the blur that clouded her vision. As she attempted to sit up, her head throbbed painfully, causing the brunette to clutch it with both her hands. Dimly she was aware of a growling noise directly above her. Slowly, carefully, the brunette raised her head, bewildered green eyes meeting furious golden ones. Angel stood above her, his fists clenching and unclenching as he glowered down at the tiny werecat. His eyes burned with the intensity of a thousand suns, his face twisted in a vampiric visage of rage.  
  
Confusion creased her brow, causing Kat to wince as her head protested the movement. 'What's he all Grry for?' Dimly she recalled Willow being in trouble, her reckless assault on the vampire group that was ready to ambush the redhead, then the blow to the head that had sent her into darkness. Hoping to diffuse the situation, she offered Angel a small smile. "Did we win?" She joked softly, believing he would lighten up. Her hope was quickly shattered as he grabbed her by the arms, hauling the tiny woman up to her feet as he snarled viciously.  
  
"What in the hell were you thinking, you little hellcat! You could've been killed, drained dry in seconds! If I hadn't of been here, you would be dead now or worse. God, how could you be so stupid?" Angel fumed, his fear for Kat's life manifesting as a raging tantrum. It took all the control he could muster not to shake the tiny woman so hard that her fragile neck would break. As it was, he knew she would carry livid bruises in the shape of his fingers the next day.  
  
Kat's face burned with embarrassment as Angel lectured her, in front of the other Scoobies no less, who were struck dumb as they witnessed Angel lose his usual self-composure. She had to admit it wasn't the smartest idea she had, leaping into the midst of a group of vampires, but a part of her bristled at his high-handedness, not to mention the way he called her stupid. Her own eyes blackening angrily, she wrested herself away from Angel's hands, anger overriding her headache's protest to her abrupt actions.  
  
"Just a minute! First of all, I did what I had to do in order to save Willow from being munched on by those bloodsucking fiends. Secondly," she continued, her own voice rising in frustration as she stepped back in front of Angel, her dainty finger jabbing him in the chest hard, "I have survived for the past five years without your so called help. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so don't you start assuming that, if it wasn't for you, I would be dead by now. I would have managed just fine!" The more truthful part of her quietly acknowledged his help was needed, but it was overruled by the stubborn, prideful part of the little werecat, which wasn't about to let him get away with berating her for her actions.  
  
Angel forced himself not to take a step backward as the fiery hellcat bared her fangs and hissed out her rebuttal. He snarled as her dainty finger poked him in the chest and growled out a reply, "If you're so perfectly capable, then act like it! If you'd taken a split second to actually think instead of just leaping in and damn near getting yourself killed, you would've realized there was a better, safer way to handle the situation. I swear to any deity that will listen, you are just the most stubborn, idiotic, pain in the ass on this planet. Hell, Spike seems like a cherub next to you!"  
  
A snort of laughter erupted from the group who was watching to proceedings, only to be abruptly silenced as Cordelia elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs. Her hissed reproach to him was missed, however, as Kat growled back at Angel. "Listen, you pasty-faced throwback to the Dark Ages. I didn't have time to think of some fancy maneuver that would have saved Willow from those vampires: it was act, or stand by and watch my best friend die before my eyes."   
  
Her delicate frame trembled with the effort it took not to slap the sneer from Angel's face. Her voice hoarsened as she choked on her anger, "I. Will. NOT stand by and watch someone I care about die…not when I could've done something to save them." Her words, while caused by her painful memories of her mother, gave dangerous promise to the future. A chill seemed to loom over the group at her near prophetic words.  
  
Angel was tempted to drop the subject, knowing how painful the memories of Kat's past were. His coffee brown eyes softened for a split second, but he steeled himself against the momentary weakness; knowing he had to teach her.   
  
"I may be a 'throwback to the Dark Ages', but at least I know how to fight with my head instead of my heart. Giles needs to start training you like he did Buffy. I swear, I've never missed her clear-headed, quick thinking fighting style more than I do tonight. If you could just force those volatile emotions down you might be as good as she was someday."  
  
Twin gasps of outrage escaped Cordy and Willow at Angel's callous remarks, their faces contorted into masks of fury over his treatment of their tiny friend. Xander just groaned, covering his face with his hands. He did NOT want to see what Kat would do to Angel…he was pretty sure the vampire would need a blood bank when she was through with him.  
  
The werecat surprised them all though, going still as Angel's words echoed in her brain. Her lips parted, but no sound escaped. If possible, her porcelain face grew paler at his blatant comparison of her to the Slayer. She tried to swallow, but it felt like her throat had closed off, her anger and shock effectively choking off any snappy comeback she may have had. Taking a step back from the vampire, her hands dropped to her sides listlessly.   
  
The old guarded look shuttered over her onyx-colored eyes, sealing off her emotions from the rest of the group. Finally finding her voice, Kat whispered huskily, barely able to find the words to speak. "Not everyone can control their dark side, as you well know, 'Angelus.'" Whirling about so she wouldn't have to see the look in the vampire's eyes, she hugged herself as she began walking away. "You really are a heartless bastard, you know that?" she called over her shoulder as she stalked away from the group, fighting the impulse to run as fast as her legs could carry her.  
  
Angel closed his eyes, his dark head bowing as he felt the backlash of his thoughtless words wash over him. So quietly it almost didn't reach the ears it was intended for, he replied, "I know, sweet kitten. But sometimes you have to be heartless and cruel, or risk being hurt later when your kindness makes your loved ones weak." A pink tear rolled down the smooth plane of the vampire's cheek as his large form blended with the shadows, and a moment later Angel was gone.  
  
Kat turned at his words, watching the vampire slink away into the night. Her eyes a myriad of colors and emotions, she took a deep, unsteady breath and resumed her troubled walk away from the graveyard. Neither vampire nor werecat remembered their human friends, who stood staring at the spot the couple had vacated moments before.   
  
Finally, when both could no longer be seen, the rest of the patrol group began to move. Xander stood still, staring at the spot Kat and Angel had vacated. Slowly he turned toward his girlfriend and Willow, who were both glancing in the direction Angel had taken, faint smiles etched on their faces. "Ok, what just happened here?" he asked, his confusion evident in his voice. "Have we just crossed into the Twilight Zone or something?"  
  
"Are you blind?" Cordelia screeched, gesturing with both her hands in the directions Kat and Angel had gone. "It's so obvious!" Huffily, the cheerleader waved her hands in the air as she tried to explain to her obtuse boyfriend, "Angel cares for Ms. Kitty, and is scared to death of it. So, when she nearly gets herself killed, he goes all ballistic because he doesn't want her dying on him."  
  
"Uh…right," Xander replied, his voice laced with sarcastic doubt. "And what's with Kat then hmm. Don't tell me she's falling for Dead Boy there." He chuckled at the thought of Kat and Angel being an item; his laughter soon died away as he caught the looks on Willow and Cordelia's faces. "Oh come on guys! It…that's insane!"  
  
"Is it?" Willow spoke up, raising an eyebrow at her childhood friend. "I don't think so Xander. Just look at how they act. Kat takes whatever Angel says very seriously, even though we both know she can usually shrug off anything someone says to her because she has a very thick skin when it comes to insults. And yet, every time he makes some comment, whether its her clothing or her fighting style, she takes it very much to heart."  
  
"And let's not forget Angel's mile-wide jealous streak," Cordelia added as Willow nodded on. "I have never seen that vampire growl so much! I'm starting to think he's a bear, or at least he's becoming part cave man. I mean did you see the way he stormed out of the library tonight?" Cordelia shook her head at the vampire's earlier actions while Xander looked at both girls like they had lost their marbles.  
  
"Are you two nuts or something?" He shook his head, trying not to think about what they were suggesting. And yet a tiny part of him couldn't help but admit that they might just be right. "Look, even if what you are saying is true, and I think the jury is still out on that one, that still leaves two questions." When neither of the women offered to answer for him, or even asked, he continued. "First, what about that pesky soul of his? We don't want them getting too close and then bam, Hello Angelus, now do we?"  
  
Willow and Cordelia exchanged an uneasy look; that was one of the snags in their idea. Crossing her arms over her chest, the redhead glared at Xander, determination flaring in her green eyes. "We'll just have to find a way to make his soul permanent. And it's not like before, with Buffy and Angel. Angel didn't know the consequences before."  
  
"Ok, that leads to my next question…what about Buffy?" Silence greeted the teenager's question, laced with tension and unspoken words. Finally, when he could stand it no longer, he continued. "Suppose she actually comes back, what then? Is Dead Boy over her, or would he just cast Kat aside and pick up where they left off?" A trace of disgust entered into Xander's voice, his feelings on the subject apparent…he did not think the Slayer and the ensouled vampire belonged together. Sighing, he rubbed his face with one hand, frustration and sadness flickering in his eyes. "I just…I don't want to see anyone get hurt, alright?"  
  
"No one is going to get hurt Xander," Willow tried to assure him, coming up to pat her childhood friend on the back. "We're just trying to get two people to admit they care for each other, not throw two unwilling people into a relationship neither one wants. What could be the harm in that?"  
  
Xander hesitated, and then shrugged. "I don't know Wills. I just have a very bad feeling about this." He glanced in the direction Kat had gone, wondering why he was so worried about a relationship between the vampire and the werecat. They would make a cute couple, and honestly he didn't begrudge Angel any comfort he could find with Kat, just so long as Angelus didn't make another appearance as a result. Still, as the two girls led him out of the cemetery, a slight shiver rippled through the teen's body like the cold hand of Death. He had no idea why, but he felt like they were at the beginning of a path that could end up hurting one of his friends…maybe even killed.  
  
As Cordy and Willow began to chat about getting Angel and Kat together, Xander tuned them out, his thoughts straying to the blonde who had abandoned them all when she sent the souled vampire to Hell. Over the past months he had come to accept the fact that she would never return, and it became harder to care about what she was doing, or how she was for that matter. His last thought was a prayer, offered up to any god he could think of with some compassion for all the group had been through.  
  
'Please…please don't let Buffy come back.'  
  
* * * * * * * * * *   
That night, in a dark motel room, a young woman dreamed of fire. It was everywhere, consuming her and enveloping her, scorching her fair skin with its infernal heat. Taking a step back, the young woman tried to escape the flames, to escape into the cool darkness of oblivion that existed beyond the fire. The flames responded, rising angrily to box her in, imprisoning her with her fate.  
  
Something flickered in the smoldering depths of the flames, drawing her eyes even as she knew she wouldn't like what was in there, that she should look away. Compelled, she watched as a figure came into focus, kneeling on the ground. Green eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the tortured body of Angel kneeling on the ground, his arms flung out to the sides, held in place by invisible bonds. A small whimper lodged itself in the back of her throat as she saw the damage inflicted on his marble body. Bare to the waist, the vampire's back was a mass of scars, long lashes of blood that cut deep, nearly to the bone. Even as she watched, he cried out in pain, more lash marks appearing on his back, drawn there by some invisible foe.   
  
Hesitantly she took a step forward, her hand extended toward the tortured vampire. Instantly the flames responded, leaping to obscure her vision of Angel and scalding her hand in the process. A hiss of pain escaping her lips, she took a step back quickly, her arms coming up in front of her face to protect its fair skin from the blistering heat of the fire. As the blaze died down she peered through her arms cautiously, bringing them down slowly. The scene beyond the fire had changed, but she was still compelled to watch helplessly. It was Angel, no longer tortured, but fighting a force she could not see. A hideous black monstrosity, it hissed and spat at him, slashing at the handsome vampire with its vicious claws. Angel winced as one or two of them scored, ripping the fabric of his black tank top and connecting with the pale flesh underneath. Then, slowly, the creature shimmered and began to change. Now a young woman stood where the dark creature had been. Hazel eyes, dark like cold emeralds, glittered dangerously as the slight woman launched another assault at Angel, while beyond the flames the other woman continued to watch, powerless to help the vampire.  
  
Vampire and woman clashed in a flurry of arms and hisses, slashing and ripping into each other with feral intensity. A lump lodged in the onlooker's throat; she tried once more to move beyond the flames, but they held her prisoner, barring her from helping Angel fight the demonic woman, who seemed to possess supernatural strength. They continued to fight, blood dripping down both bodies and painting the floor in grisly detail, until both opponents were locked in a deadly embrace. And then, without warning, Angel snarled and his head swooped down, taking the other woman's lips into a fiery kiss.  
  
Choking back a sob of bitterness, shock, and betrayal, the onlooker shook her head in rapid denial of the scene unfolding before her eyes. The flames surrounding her responded to her anguish, crackling and leaping high into the air, obscuring the couple from her view. And yet the image was firmly imprinted on her mind, along with others: Angel and the woman, staring at each other with tender looks. Angel, touching her neck gently, a pale scar made by a vampire bite barely visible against her pale skin. Angel and the woman dancing sweetly together at the Bronze. The images melted into each other, until she was unable to tell where one began and the previous ended. Over and over the images of the vampire and this woman fighting, kissing, and fighting assaulted her mind, causing her to stumble backwards, shaking her head in vehement denial.  
  
So intent was she in escaping the horrible images that the young woman felt something collide into her back suddenly. Whirling about, her eyes widened as she saw Xander and Willow standing before her, their silent eyes accusing. A cold mask of anger twisted Xander's features into a gruesome mask, twin to the expression on Willow's face. Slowly the young man's arm rose, his finger pointing straight at her in accusation before moving on to point at the scene beyond her vision, the one she had just witnessed. His voice was implacable as he intoned, "The two shall become as one. And the hate which beget love will again beget hate."  
  
Her heart wrenched painfully as Willow repeated Xander's actions, pointing past the young woman and sharing her own words of import in a voice devoid of emotion. "Be Warned! The choosing is at hand!" Her words rang out in the air, drowning out the roar of the eternal flames surrounding the tiny woman and piercing her to the core. Their words reverberated in the room, echoing in her ears and mingling with the images that were imprinted in her mind, until the young woman was forced to her knees, her hands pressed to her temples as she trembled violently. The lump in her throat disappeared, and she leaned back, her hands tightly fisted at her sides as she howled her denial into the night....  
  
"NOOOOOOO!" With a cry of outrage, Buffy bolted upright in her hotel bed. Shaking like a leaf, the ex-Slayer glanced around the dark room, taking in giant gulps of air in order to quell the raging inferno inside of her. Green eyes blinked in confusion before realization finally dawned on her. Trembling hands reached up to hug herself tightly as the blonde fought to shake the last visages of her nightmare away.  
  
'It was just a dream,' she told herself over and over again, unconsciously starting to rock back and forth in an effort to calm the storm of emotions inside of her. But she knew it wasn't just a dream...Slayers never 'just' had dreams, they had visions. Someone or something wanted her to know that Angel was alive...or might be alive.   
  
'But I killed him!' she told herself, her eyes wide and child-like as she stared into the darkness. 'Or did I?' The question burned inside of her, awakening all the feelings she had thought she had buried over the past few months. Suddenly the desire to see her friends, her home, overwhelmed the tiny ex-Slayer...not to mention the need to find out the answer to the doubts and questions she had regarding her vampire lover.  
  
Uncoiling herself from the tight ball she had been in, the blonde reached for the bedside phone. Grabbing a phonebook, she flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for, and then began dialing the number. As she waited for the other end to pick up, the lingering images from her nightmare flashed behind her eyes. Her mind shied away from thinking about the young woman who had been with Angel in her nightmares...the dark-haired one with the feral eyes.   
  
Soon a bored female voice issued from the receiver, "Greyhound Bus lines. Destination city and state please?" Buffy took a deep breath, then told the woman in a voice as calm as a winter breeze.  
  
"Sunnydale, California." 


	17. Something Has to be Done

Chapter 17 - Something Has To Be Done  
  
It was a typical Saturday research party, and Xander was bored; the kind of bored that creeps into the mind, making words blur together on a page and form interesting blotches that, if one looked long enough, began to resemble shapes. Glancing up, Xander watched in mild surprise as Willow shifted in her chair, a frown marring her elfin features as she studied the book in her hands. He noted her repeated glances toward two chairs that, until a few days ago, had been occupied by everyone's favorite souled vampire and quiet werecat. It was obvious that her mind was not on the prophecy they were still working on, but rather on the two missing members of their little group.  
  
Grimly Xander thought back to the incident four days ago that had started all of this. Ever since the fight in the graveyard, Angel had distanced himself from the group, forsaking the research parties to remain sequestered in his mansion. Willow, being the only person who saw him anymore, said he was doing fine, but Xander knew she was worried about his relapse into broodland.  
  
'Not that Kat is any better,' Xander admitted to himself as he thought about the werecat. Angel's words seemed to have caused the tiny brunette to withdraw into herself, spending more time patrolling the graveyard than at the library with the rest of the group. She seemed more driven than before, like she wouldn't stop until every vampire in Sunnydale had been vanquished.including the idiot vampire who hurt her.  
  
If he was looking for concrete evidence that the two had feelings for each other, or at least that Kat felt something for Angel, this certainly clinched it in Xander's mind. But with the two parties currently not talking to each other, he didn't see how the Scoobies could get them to admit to anything.  
  
'Something's got to be done,' Xander thought before glancing back to the empty chairs somberly. 'Before someone explodes.'  
  
'.I'm going to explode!' Willow fumed silently, her scowl deepening as she glanced over to the empty chairs for the hundredth time in the past hour. 'Stupid, idiotic, childish.' Cutting off the tirade before it could get out of control, the petite redhead sighed in frustration. Kat and Angel were slowing driving her insane. She had tried letting them think things over, but it seemed as if neither one was going to make the first move.  
  
. 'If they would just TALK to each other, instead of hiding.' But Angel refused to come to the library or out on patrol, immune to Willow's powers of persuasion. Even her 'resolve face' didn't move the distant vampire. She was sure that she could talk Kat into doing whatever she said, but to ask the brunette to go the mansion to talk to Angel was probably pushing it.  
  
Suddenly, without warning, the hacker stood up, slamming her book closed with enough force to reverberate in heavy silence that hung in the library. Two pairs of eyes looked up at the tiny young woman in shock, another set peeking out cautiously from the doors to Giles' office as the redhead flung the book down on the table, scowling in irritation. Working him mouth soundlessly, Xander stared at his usually mild-mannered friend, taken back by the fierce look on her petite features. "Uhhh, Wills?" he asked cautiously. "What's wrong?"  
  
Angry green eyes fixed on confused brown ones. "What's wrong?" Willow ground out, hands fisted at her sides. "What's wrong is two of my friends are out there, refusing to act like grownups, while we are stuck here pouring over old books trying to pretend nothing is wrong!" Raising one hand to rub her temple, Willow snorted. "Something has to be done."  
  
"Well it's about time!" Cordelia stated, slamming her book down on the table and standing up. "I was wondering when you two would get sick of this. So what's the plan?"  
  
"Plan?" Xander echoed, blinking in confusion. "What plan? What can we do? It's not like we can force them to talk to each other. Someone might get hurt, and while I'm all for staking Angel, Kat might be upset if we let her kill him."  
  
"She won't kill him, I'll make sure of it." Willow vowed, an idea forming in her mind. "I think we can get them to meet, and manage to avoid any bloodshed in the process." At Xander's questioning look, Willow suddenly smiled. Her smile widened as she leaned across the table toward her childhood friend, causing him to squirm uneasily. "I have a plan.but I'll need your help."  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Stalking through the graveyard, a lithe young woman paused, cocking her head to the side. A faint rustling to her right was all the indication the tiny woman got before a blur of motion exploded out of the bushes to her right. Acting on instincts born from within, she whirled out of the way, her leg coming up in a roundhouse to catch the fledgling in the side of the face. As the fairly inept vampire fell to the ground, the dark-haired young woman twirled the stake in her hands, crouching to drive her wooden weapon into the corpse's chest before it could regain its sense of balance.  
  
As the vampire exploded into dust, Kat remained crouched a few minutes more. Glancing up at the night sky, she idly calculated the phase of the moon, leaving the rest of her mind stuck in the dark thoughts it had been processing for the past few days. She knew that the rest of the Scooby gang was worried for her; Willow had tried repeatedly to get the tiny brunette to come back out of her protective barrier, but to no avail. Kat had shut down her emotions, or at least it seemed that way to everyone.  
  
Inside, however, she was anything but in control. Try as she might, her mind was stuck in a whirlpool of images and sounds, echoing from that night in the graveyard three days ago. Closing her stormy blue-green eyes, the tiny werecat recalled Angel's angry words all to clearly in her mind:  
  
"What in the hell were you thinking, you little hellcat.Giles needs to start training you like he did Buffy.If I hadn't of been here, you would be dead now or worse.If you're so perfectly capable, then act like it.I swear, I've never missed her clear-headed, quick thinking fighting style more than I do tonight.God, how could you be so stupid.If you could just force those volatile emotions down you might be as good as she was someday."  
  
A sound issued from the back of Kat's throat, a combination of a snarl and a whimper. 'I am NOT the Slayer,' her mind argued rebelliously, anger mixing with the confusion and hurt she had been feeling lately, causing her eyes to fly open suddenly. Her eyes had darkened once more, cold emeralds replacing the liquid blue that had flickered there a moment ago.  
  
"I am not the Slayer," she whispered in a deadly tone, her hands balled into fists on her knees, clenching the material of her pants as she swore silently at the accursed vampire who kept haunting her thoughts. 'Shows how much brains he has, comparing me to that anemic little blonde Willow showed me in those photos of hers. I'm no Chosen One; I don't have a calling for this line of work. I do this because I want to, shouldn't that count for something?'  
  
Rising to her feet, the werecat continued her patrol of the cemetery, her mind continuing its fierce rant. 'And I don't see how clear-headed that Slayer can be, running out on her sacred duty, not to mention all her friends, and leaving them to the dangers of the fucking Hellmouth.' Kat continued to malign the Slayer, focusing her anger onto the object of comparison rather than the one she was really mad at. 'Christ, you're not supposed to just give up because things get hard. You're supposed to fight these things to the bitter end, because if you don't,' she halted in her movements, swallowing hard as her throat closed painfully, 'if you don't, the people you care about are the ones who end up getting hurt.'  
  
"Stupid vampire," she whispered hoarsely, her thoughts returning bitterly to the vampire who had snapped at her regarding her fighting style. 'I may not be Little Miss Perfect, but I am a fighter in my own right. I'll be damned if he's going to make me feel guilty because I'm not perfect like his precious Slayer'  
  
A vampire materialized out of nowhere, thinking to make a tasty snack out of the brooding werecat. Without even thinking, Kat let her body take over, whirling around to catch the vampire's arm before it could grab her. Her other hand coming up, she staked the surprised demon before it could even utter a protest. Watching the dust swirl around her, Kat blinked once, twice, before cursing her lack of attention, in the cemetery no less. 'Christ, I'm just proving that vampire right by acting like a zombie. Gripping the stake in her hand tightly, her eyes darkened in anger, at herself and at the vampire who put these thoughts into her head in the first place.  
  
"I won't feel guilty," she whispered fiercely, turning to head out of the cemetery. All this thinking wasn't doing her any good, and Willow would probably come looking for her if she didn't turn up at the library for a few minutes. Just as she was about to leave, however, a sound from behind the werecat caused her to pause. Frowning, Kat glanced over her shoulder, her eyes peering into the darkness beyond. Raising her stake, Kat stalked silently in that direction, her eyes on the lookout for danger.  
  
'One more vampire,' she thought to herself, 'then I'll head to the library.'  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"Are you sure you know what you are doing?" Willow asked Cordelia as she clutched her seatbelt with one hand, the other firmly gripping the door handle as the dark-haired cheerleader took another corner way too fast. Her life flashing before her eyes, Willow silently vowed never to get in another car if Cordelia was behind the wheel.  
  
"Do you want to drive?" The cheerleader snapped without so much as looking at Willow, her attention firmly fixed on keeping from killing the both of them. After a heavy silence, Cordelia snuck a glance over to the tiny redhead to see her seriously considering the question. "Don't even think about it! Do you see any sign of her?"  
  
"No.wait!" Willow gasped for breath and Cordelia suddenly slammed on her brakes, forcing the tiny passenger to hurtle forward, only to be saved by the seatbelt as it jerked her back into place. Twisting in her seat, Willow managed to gasp through ragged breaths, "I'm.wheez.going. to make you.cough.eat this seatbelt. if you.pant.do that."  
  
"See her?" Cordelia interrupted, leaning forward to peer through her windshield and ignoring the fuming redhead beside her. Squinting her dark eyes, the tall brunette shook her head. "I don't see her. You sure she would be near the cemetery? She might be back at her hotel room."  
  
Finally managing to catch her breath, Willow pointed out the window to her right. "Nope. That's her."  
  
Cordelia turned her head to look doubtfully past Willow. "What, you mean behind that slimy, gooey thing?" After a brief pause, the cheerleader started and leaned closer, squinting her eyes once more. "Oh no.it can't be."  
  
"Yep." Willow grinned at the look of horror on Cordelia's face. "That's her." Without waiting for the cheerleader to respond, Willow rolled down her window and leaned out to yell at the slime-covered person heading in their direction. "Kat!"  
  
Hearing her name, the werecat raised her head, wiping some of the ooze of her brow as she glanced at the two occupants in the car before her. "Oh. Hey guys. I was just on my way to the library."  
  
"What the hell happened to you?" Cordelia blurted out before Kat could finish her sentence.  
  
Glancing down at her slime-covered hand, Kat shrugged. "Ran into a demon of sorts in the cemetery." A half-smile flickered on her face as she continued, " Apparently it explodes into a gooey mess when you kill it. What are you two doing here?"  
  
"We came to pick you up," Willow replied, gesturing to the back seats of Cordelia's car. "Hop in."  
  
"Oh no!" Cordelia shook her head violently. "I will NOT have Miss Kitty getting my seats dirty. How would I explain that stuff when I go to get it cleaned?" Willow turned to give Cordelia a look, making the cheerleader grimace. "I guess I have a blanket in the back seat we can use.but I'm sending you the cleaning bill!"  
  
Raising her eyebrow, Kat watched the brief exchange between the other two teenagers, confusing and amusement warring on her face. "Where are we going," she asked as she opened the door to get in, spreading the blanket out so Cordelia's precious upholstery wouldn't suffer, "back to the library?" She tried to keep her voice light and her tiny smile fixed as she continued. "Even with Wills' great brain and Giles' extensive library, you need one werecat to translate a prophecy?"  
  
"Oh, we're not going back to the library," the cheerleader offered, her horror over the slime-covered werecat replaced with an almost malicious delight in things to come.  
  
Unsure what Cordelia meant, Kat's smile slipped a notch in confusion. "Then where are you guys taking me?"  
  
"Oh, you know," Willow replied, turning to glance at Kat before answering, "We're going to take you to see Angel.after we make a stop at Cordelia's house first."  
  
As Cordelia sped off into the night, a very loud "WHAT???" trailed behind them into the night.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Standing outside the door to the mansion, Xander felt a similar sense of dread creep over his skin. Shifting from one foot to the other, the dark- haired teenager wondered not for the first time how he had let Willow talk him into being errand boy and fetching the brooding vampire from the mansion. Certainly the hacker would have been a better choice, as she was currently the only Scoobie Angel was talking to. Yet Willow had just shaken her head and said that dealing with Kat would take both women put together, and that left Angel to Xander.  
  
'Riight,' the teenager thought dryly, scratching his head with his hand as he stared at the door, wondering what he could possibly say to the soulful vampire. "Especially since Wills forbid me to use the 'She likes you, you like her, why don't you two go like each other together?' speech on him." Actually, Willow's specific words had been that if Xander mentioned Kat's feelings to Angel, she would turn him into a toad and step on him herself, despite her deadly fear of the slimy green things. While he wasn't sure why it would be a bad thing if Angel knew how Kat felt, he was sure Willow would carry out her threat if she found out.  
  
"Well, here goes everything," the teen muttered under his breath, raising his arm and knocking very lightly on the massive door.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"No." Arms folded defensively across her chest, Kat glared at the tiny redhead who, much to her annoyance, didn't even seem fazed by the cursing the dark-haired werecat had done all the way to the Chase residence. As Willow frowned, shaking a piece of red material at Kat, the brunette shook her head fiercely. "I said NO!"  
  
"You can't very well go to the Bronze looking like that!" Willow argued, gesturing to Kat's slime-streaked attire.  
  
"I don't even see why I have go to the Bronze. Period." Kat glowered at her friend, then over at Cordelia as a snort of laughter issued from the cheerleader, who was leaning against her locked bedroom door, filing one of her nails and pretending not to enjoy this.  
  
Sighing, Willow flailed her arms at her stubborn friend. "I've already told you! Best way to avoid any bloodshed is if you and Angel talk in some place where there are a lot of people."  
  
"Fine, I don't see why I should go talk to Angel." Kat's rigid refusal to budge rubbed Willow the wrong way. Her head already throbbing from the ear- blasting Kat gave her on the way to Cordelia's, her temper finally snapped. Tossing the red outfit down at Kat's feet, the petite hacker exploded.  
  
"Why?! How about because you two are driving me crazy!" As Kat's jaw dropped in surprise, Willow continued her tirade. "You two! Goddess above, I've had better luck managing two year olds! You're both stubborn, mule- headed, idiotic.and neither one of you wants to make the first move. Well fine, so I'm making you two talk to each other. It's a hell of a lot better than going back and forth, seeing how miserable both my friends are, being unable to do anything about it." Emotionally exhausted from the past few days, Willow sighed sadly. "I just want things to go back to the way they were before."  
  
Kat kicked herself mentally, seeing the anguish her and the vampire were causing her closest friend. Squirming uncomfortably, Kat looked around for something to say. Greenish-blue eyes took in the red material pooled at her feet. Feebly Kat cleared her throat, causing the redhead and cheerleader to look at her curiously. Desperately, even though a tiny part of her mind already braced itself for what Willow had in store for her, Kat offered one final argument.  
  
"But, Willow.why does it have to be a dress?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Well, here goes everything," Xander muttered under his breath, raising his arm and knocking very lightly on the massive door. He waited for what seemed like eternity, but was actually only a minute or so. Finally, when he heard no reply, the dark-haired young man shrugged, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and turned away from the door. "Well, no one home, guess I'll be leaving!"  
  
One foot in the air, ready to move down the steps, Xander froze as suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise in warning. Behind Xander the entrance to the mansion slowly began to creak open. The teenager winced as he heard a foot shuffle behind him. Sighing, he turned back to the open door, coming face to face with a confused and silent vampire. Grinning sheepishly, he raised one hand in greeting. "Hiya Dead Boy! Mind if I come in?" 


	18. Dancing Closer to the Truth

Chapter 18 - Dancing Closer to the Truth  
  
Upstairs at the Bronze Angel leaned over the railing, watching the teenagers sway and brush up against each other as the music pulsed and throbbed throughout the room. His brown eyes were thoughtful as they roamed the crowd, idly searching for something or someone. Not for the first time, the vampire brooded on just how Xander had managed to convince him to come out in the first place.  
  
His lips quirked in a slight smile as he recalled how nervous the teenager had been as he had entered the vampire's home. Fidgeting from one foot to the other, it had taken the dark-haired youth at least ten minutes before he spoke up about why he was there.specifically, to talk about Kat. The woman who had haunted Angel's thoughts, day and night, ever since the terrible fight in the graveyard. The smile that touched the pale man's lips faded as Xander's words echoed in his head, solemn as that sugar- driven teenager could ever be..  
  
'Look Dea.Angel. I know what Kat did the other night rivaled me for pure dumb luck, and something bad would've happened if you weren't there to pull her butt out of the fire, but you were way out of line with some of the stuff you said. You compared her to Buffy for crying out loud! The things you said were complete bullshit you know; Buffy never fought with a clear head, she was always emotional and took it out on the vamps. Somehow I think that, if Kat had been in Buffy's place when you had turned up, you wouldn't have had a chance to explain about your soul before you turned into a pile of ash..'  
  
Xander's words still bothered Angel, partly because he was right.Buffy had been no saint when it came to fighting. There had been times when the vampire himself had believed that, had it not been for the Scoobies, she would not have survived as long as she had. But Xander had not been satisfied by pointing out the flaw in the vampire's way of thinking. Oh no, that moronic teenager had to up the stakes by making Angel feel guilty as well.  
  
Kat's no Slayer man. She doesn't have a destiny to slay vamps, she wasn't chosen for this. She does it because she thinks it needs doing, just like Wills and Cordy and me. You really hurt her that night Dead boy. She doesn't have a lot of friends, I can tell that from the way she lets Wills push her around. But we're more than friends to her, we're family, and I can tell you this from experience. Nothing hurts more than when your family puts you down. Kat's been brooding as bad as you since that night, she walks around like a kicked puppy and none of us can bring her out of it. Think about that Angel, and talk to her, instead of sitting around feeling guilty about it.'  
  
Being berated by Xander, of all people, didn't sit well with the dark- haired vampire. Especially when the goofy kid had a point. And so here he was, stuck at the Bronze, waiting for Willow and Kat to show up so he could talk to the tiny brunette. Why he had to come to the Bronze was beyond the already perplexed vampire, but Xander had no easy answer for him. The teenager had just shrugged and said it wasn't his decision, but Cordy and Willow's. Angel didn't even want to think about what was going on inside their devious female minds.he had never been able to understand woman either, and he had two hundred years to study them.  
  
The vampire continued to muse silently to himself, his eyes roaming over the crowd below, until he felt a slight hand touch his shoulder. Startled, the vampire swung around, barely able to hide the disappoint that flicked across his features as he looked down at the grinning face of Willow, and not the petite kitten he had been hoping for.  
  
"Willow," Angel said, his lips twitching sadly as he looked down at his friend, "how have you been? Where's the rest of the group?" His head rose as he spoke, eyes scanning behind the redhead, flicking from face to face as they sought the familiar features of a certain dark-haired, pouty-lipped beauty. So intent was he in his search that he almost missed the chuckle that escaped from the pixie in front of him. "Something amusing Little One?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.  
  
"Nothing," Willow replied, shaking her head as she watched the tall vampire, her eyes twinkling in bemusement. "Cordy went looking for Xander, leaving me and Kat stranded near the dance floor. I told her I would go find you, so I think she's still there." Moving up beside the vampire, Willow peered down at the dancing body of the Bronze, seeking her friend. A minute later she gestured with one dainty arm, smiling. "There she is!" Curious green eyes slid sideways, gauging the vampire's reaction to her friend as he looked where she was pointing. She was not disappointed.  
  
Completely forgetting the fact that he didn't need to breathe, Angel sucked in air slowly, his eyes widening at the angelic sight before his eyes. Kat floated through the crowd below, a vision clad entirely in red. Her dress ended at the knees, and was made of such a silky material that it seemed to caress her curvaceous body. The spaghetti-strapped number flared out at the skirt, enhancing her already graceful movements to a point that had the souled vampire sighing, his undead heart nearly beating once or twice.  
  
The kitten paused at the edge of the dance floor and glanced around, in search of her wayward friends no doubt. Her mane of auburn hair was teased into waves, swept back at the sides and giving her a hint of elegance. Angel's dark, brooding eyes watched her as the delectable young woman nibbled on her lower lip, a vulnerable gesture that seemed so like, and yet un-like the usually self-assured woman that it nearly floored him. Tonight Kat seemed more feminine, more desirable.and more open than the vampire had ever seen before. Emotions he had been fighting ever since he first spied the fiery kitten surged to the surface, etching the brooding vampire's face in a mixture of longing and tenderness.  
  
So intent was the vampire in watching the werecat below that he completely missed hearing an annoying voice call out, signaling the arrival of Xander and his girlfriend Cordy. "Yo Dead Boy, Wills! Finally found you two!" Slowly the brunette couple made their way over to Angel and Willow, Xander grinning at his childhood friend. "Do I deliver or what?" the young man quipped, jerking his thumb in Angel's direction, making good use of the vampire's distracted air. "Just call me the Dominoes of Vamp Delivery.I'll get the undead there in 30 minutes, or your money back."  
  
Groaning, Willow shook her head at her friend, her wild hair hiding the smile that graced her dainty lips. Fighting back the urge to laugh, the redhead admitted to herself that, despite all her worries, Xander really had come through for them. Her initial fear and anxiety over getting Kat and Angel to agree to come to the Bronze was melting away, replaced with an almost giddy sensation. Glancing back over to Angel, whose eyes were still locked on their friend, she wondered not for the first time just what Xander had to say in order to get the reluctant vampire to agree to come out, let alone show up at the Bronze.  
  
A detail that had previously escaped the pixie-like woman before now suddenly stood out clearly. Raising an eyebrow, Willow turned back to Xander, her eyes questioning. "I'm impressed Xan," she said, her lips twitching in amusement, "not only did you manage to bring Angel here, but you also talked him into wearing the shirt Cordy gave him."  
  
"Yea well," the young man replied, puffing his chest out in an exaggerated show of manliness, "my powers of persuasion astound even me." He broke into a fit of coughing as Cordy pounded his back none to softly. "Ok ok," he added between gasps for breath, "I told him Cordy would make him go shopping with her next time if he didn't wear the shirt at least once. I think the idea of spending hours watching her try on the same outfit in more colors than God even thought of finally did it." A chuckle escaped the brunette's lips, turning into another bout of coughing as his girlfriend hit him once again, this time with more force behind her swing.  
  
Willow bit the inside of her cheek as the couple began to argue, their eyes lighting up even as they traded insults. Her cheery mood faded as her dainty ears picked up on a faint rumbling sound to her right. Turning her head, the redhead noted with surprise the change that had come over Angel. Whereas before he had been almost serene in his perusal of Kat, now his body radiated tension. His hands gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles turning white and his arms trembling as he struggled with his emotions. Concerned, Willow took a step closer, touching the vampire's shoulder lightly as she spoke. "Angel? What is it?"  
  
Gritting his teeth, eyes blazing with a hint of gold, Angel barely managed to ground out a question to the redhead, "Who is that Little One?" His voice, though calm, had an odd emotional note to it, one that had Willow a little worried. Moving closer, the redhead peered over the railing, to where Angel had been watching Kat. and saw just what had made the vampire so angry.  
  
Biting her lip in an effort to quell the urge to smile, Willow snuck a peek at Angel's face to verify her guess. Inwardly she jumped and wiggled with excitement as she noted the look of jealousy that flitted over the normally stoic vampire's features. 'Oooh, this is perfect!' she thought to herself gleefully, not even questioning her enjoyment over her friend's discomfort. "Who, Percy? He's a football player from our high school, I tutor him every now and then in history." She didn't have to hide the look of distaste that came at the thought of tutoring the jock, a privilege bestowed upon her by Principal Snyder.  
  
"Kat's talking to Percy?" Xander moved closer, looking down at the situation for himself. Grinning like a fool, the young man brought his hands up, rubbing them together in vicious glee. "Excellent! Poetic justice and I'm here to see it!" Noting the odd looks thrown at him by his childhood friend and his girlfriend, Xander shrugged, then added, "It's one of those male grunting thing.you female types wouldn't understand the desperate need every guy who has ever been shot down by a girl has. To one day see the stud, the football star, the dream guy, get the same treatment. And now, my life's ambition will be fulfilled.just as soon as Kat tells him to take a hike!"  
  
"It's not Kat telling him off I'm worried about," Cordelia responded, causing Xander to look at his friend in confusion. "Percy.well, let's just say that he's not the type to keep his hands to himself while dancing, if you know what I mean."  
  
Willow groaned, imagining the look on Percy and the entire Bronze's face when Kat broke his arm for grabbing part of her body. "Maybe I should go down there. I don't think it would look good if she hospitalized our quarterback."  
  
Opening his mouth to ask Willow why not, Xander's eyes suddenly slid out of focus, staring at a point just behind the redhead. Confusion knitting his dark brows together, Xander turned his head, glancing around at the people near them. Clearing his throat, the teenager asked, "Uhh, guys..where's Angel?"  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Gnashing her teeth silently, Kat glared at the guy standing next to her, who seemed oblivious to her desire to break his arms as he grinned, giving her some awful line about not seeing her here before. For the millionth time in the past ten minutes, the tiny werecat wished she were anywhere but here, at the Bronze, in a dress. Already her skin crawled as she felt the eyes of the male patrons glued to her body.  
  
A small part of her mind tried to point out that it wasn't a stupid dress that made her want to leave so badly, but a certain pig-headed soulful vampire. While uncertain about her red-headed friend's intentions, the tiny brunette was sure of one thing: Willow would do any she could to make peace between her two friends. Kat had felt Angel nearby the moment she stepped into the Bronze, the back of her neck prickling in warning. She was not about to confront him just yet, not with all his callous words still fresh in her mind.  
  
As Kat's skin began to tingle strangely, the dark-haired werecat glanced around, seeking the source of her discomfort. She almost missed Percy's attempt to ask her to dance, so caught up was she in her own musings. Stirring out of her thoughts, Kat heard Percy conclude his long-winded speech with a "would you like to dance?" Her frown didn't seem to deter him, as the jock reached out, one hand brushing up her arm a little too familiarly, causing a low rumble to issue in the back of Kat's throat. Before she could give him a scathing turndown, however, her instincts flared up, barely giving her enough warning before a voice as cold as the artic wind spoke up.  
  
"The lady is busy." Eyes widening, Kat turned slowly, pleading silently that her worst fears wouldn't be confirmed. Wide blue-green eyes locked onto cold brown ones, and the young woman sucked in her breath quickly. Angel stood directly behind her, terrible in all his dark glory. His entire body was rigid, his fists clenched at his sides. Gold flickered in his chocolaty orbs, swirling with some dark emotion that made her quiver in front of him. Percy and the rest of the Bronze faded from into the background, Kat's mind latching onto one thought: I'm in trouble.  
  
Angel tried to keep his mind on the task at hand: that being to get Kat away from this lecherous young pup before she went off with him. His demon fought and clawed under the surface, wanting nothing more than the rip the face off this whelp that dared talk to his angelic beauty. It didn't help that the stubborn jock still had his hand wrapped around Kat's upper arm, or that Kat seemed frozen to the spot, making no effort to disengage him.  
  
Percy, briefly glancing back and forth between the other two, noting Kat's look of barely disguised astonishment at Angel's appearance, decided to plunge on. Drawing himself up straight, the quarterback narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him, all the while tightening his hold on Kat's arm and drawing her back a step. "Who asked you, huh?"  
  
A malicious smile spread over the vampire's lips at the foolish young man's attempt to sound brave. Something of his dark demeanor must have translated into his face, for as he leaned forward the jock paled suddenly. His arm flashing out before the young man could recover from his shock, Angel grabbed Percy's arm and tightened his hold.painfully. Stepping closer, he brought his face up near the jock's and, while managing to keep his face from vamping out, laced his voice with as much of Angelus as he could muster. "Maybe you didn't hear me before.Get. Lost."  
  
As Angel released the jock's arm he watched with no little amusement as Percy stumbled backwards in his haste to depart, dropping Kat's arm as if he were scalded. Mumbling something about having to be somewhere else, he turned and disappeared into the crowd of the Bronze, not pausing to glance over his shoulder in his hasty retreat. Pleased with his efforts, Angel turned back to Kat, only to find the tiny werecat glaring at him in barely repressed outrage.  
  
The abrupt manner of Percy's departure, coupled with Angel's rather heavy- handed manner, had the effect of a cold bucket of water on the tiny brunette. Snapping out of the previous stupor she had been in since he had appeared, she crossed her arms over her chest as she scowled up at the vampire. "What in the hell do you think you are doing?"  
  
Blinking, Angel stared down at the irate werecat, surprise taking the edge off of his jealousy-induced rage. "Excuse me kitten?" One eyebrow arched up as he cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to tell him what had the petite young woman so riled.  
  
"Do I have 'Helpless Damsel in Distress' written somewhere on my forehead?" Kat exploded, her arms flailing out to her sides. "What part of me just screams out that I have to be saved from every unpleasant situation just because I'm female? Feminist movement, look it up sometime Angel!"  
  
"Oh?" Angel's eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned forward, his own arms coming up to cross over his chest. "I wasn't aware that the women of this century actually liked being pawed over by under-sexed, hormone-driven teenage boys," he replied, stressing the word boy to describe the quarterback who had just vacated the area.  
  
"I could have handled it," Kat snapped, waving her hands in the air wildly at the vampire's pompous attitude. "What are you going to do next, hmm Angel? Would you like me to run any guy I happen to meet by you, just so he meets your archaic standard of approval before I even TALK to him?" Ignoring the way his expression darkened with every word she uttered, Kat continued, stepping forward to jab her dainty finger into his cold chest. "Listen up buddy, cause I'm only going to say this once! I will NOT let you act like some protective father figure. If I want to talk to a guy, I will. Hell, I'll DANCE with whomever I want, and don't you dare try to tell me otherwise, or so help me I'll stake you with a dull pencil."  
  
Satisfied she had at least partly gotten through to the stubborn vampire, Kat took a step back. Suddenly Angel's hand snaked out, clamping down on her wrist and holding the tiny brunette prisoner. Raising her head, the werecat's eyes widened in surprise as Angel's eyes glinted with malicious intent. Leaning forward so his head was closer to hers, a trace of his Irish accent lacing his already tense and rage-filled voice as he spoke. "So kitten, you want to dance hmm?" His smile grew colder as he continued, his voice soft, yet menacing. "If you be wanting someone to brush up against you on the dance floor, I'd be happy to oblige kitten." His smile widened smugly as he watched her pale slightly, feeling her wrist tremble slightly in his grasp  
  
Frozen in place, Kat stared up at Angel with wide blue eyes, her mouth parted slightly in surprise. His accent teased her ears, making her tingle from head to toe. Her mind was a whirlwind of images and emotions evoked by the idea of being that close to the cryptic and now murderous-looking vampire. Only the predatory nature of his smile, and the cold way he looked at her, saved the dark-haired young woman from saying yes. Taking a deep breath, she drew herself up as much as she could, fixing a cool look of dispassion on her face.  
  
"I don't think so," she replied softly, looking Angel in the eye with as much dignity as she could muster. "I'd rather not dance with someone I can't trust not to hurt me." With as much grace as she could muster, she pulled her wrist out of his hand, only mildly surprised at how easily he let her go. Turning away, she took a step away, determined not to look at his face, for fear that she would cave and accept his invitation, no matter how cold and empty it had sounded to her ears. Only the reminder of his actions back in the cemetery a few nights ago kept her moving away from him, her lips pressed firmly together in order not to say anything she feared she would regret later.  
  
Angel stared dejectedly after the tiny brunette as she distanced herself from him, his hand still suspended in the air in shock. Feeling the effects of a mental slap from Kat, the vampire reeled at her chosen words for refusal. In his mind's eye, he could see a hint of the fear and vulnerability he had caused the werecat reflected back to him in her green- blue orbs, and it make his undead heart ache with misery.  
  
"I never meant to hurt you kitten," he whispered sadly, his rage spent in the face of her rejection. Turning his back on the way she had gone, Angel was intent upon giving up for the night, when he made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder at her. Leaning up against a beam, her eyes closed as she listened to the swell of the music in the Bronze, Kat seemed innocent and vulnerable as she stood a few feet away from him. A soft, sad smile graced the young woman's pouty lips, causing the vampire to swallow involuntarily.  
  
Something welled up inside the vampire, compelling him to move in her direction like a moth drawn to a flame. He was only dimly aware of the music changing, shifting from the throbbing tempo of the Bronze to something softer, more soothing. The beauty clad in crimson robbed him of any thought but reaching her side.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Trying to get her emotions under control, Kat listened to the music change as she leaned up against a beam in the dimly lit club. Her eyes shutting out the rest of the world, she took a deep breath as the strains of a guitar filled the air, soothing some of the ache she felt in her heart. Her breath hitched a little as her mind stumbled in its attempts to forget a certain vampire, or his rather confusing effect on her.  
  
Her mind and senses preoccupied, Kat started when she felt her hand being lifted gently, long cool fingers caressing the back as it was pulled away from her body. Her eyes flew open as cool lips brushed against her warm skin, causing her to tremble slightly. Chocolate eyes, now warm and tender, smiled up at her over the back of her hand. For a moment she could hardly breathe, as she watched Angel bow over her hand in an old-fashioned manner that left her speechless. She watched, helpless to act, as the gentle vampire leaned closer, whispering with a trace of his earlier accent in his voice, "Forgive my harsh words lady." Straightening, he continued to hold her hand as he tilted his head in the direction of the dance floor. "Permit me the honor of this dance?"  
  
'Ohhh, that is not fair,' Kat's mind moaned silently. 'Handsome men should never be allowed to have such delicious accents.' Her mind bid a tearful farewell to logic, her heart cautioning the werecat to tread softly, but it was her body that responded, her skin tingling in acceptance. Not trusting herself to speak, the werecat simply nodded once, fearing the consequences of her decision, but wanting it too much to say no a second time.  
  
Silently Angel moved a step backwards, onto the dance floor. Her eyes never leaving his, Kat followed, letting the vampire guide her. Starting slightly as his cool hands trailed up her warm arms, she let him pull her closer as his hands moved over her shoulders, gliding gently down the curvature of her sides and coming to rest lightly on her hips. Slowly he guided her into the rhythm of the song caressing them both, dimly aware of a woman's sultry voice as it ebbed out over the dance floor.  
  
I'm telling you it's over  
  
Now there's an angel  
  
Holding me  
  
My way's easy  
  
Even if you're fallen  
  
Oh you're struggling  
  
There's still beauty  
  
In what we do  
  
Closing her eyes, Kat warred internally with her emotions. She longed to surrender into him, to the security and warm that Angel radiated, but the recent hurt he had caused her, both now and a few days ago, made her tense and uncertain. Her movements in his arms were bereft their normal grace, her posture somewhat stiff as she danced with the handsome vampire. By the way his hands tightened slightly on her hips, Kat was certain that Angel knew she was a little uncomfortable.  
  
Watching the tense little brunette in his arms, Angel missed the fiery, passionate brunette he had known a few days ago. He missed the light in her eyes as she kept him on his toes, either with a snappy word or a secretive smile. The quiet little woman in his arms was not his kitten. As he pondered how to bring her back out of hiding, the song picked up in tempo, an almost light-heartedness quality that soothed the spirits. An idea began to form in the vampire's head. Lips quirking softly, he raised one hand off Kat's hips, gliding up to take one of her delicate hands. As her eyes flew open questioningly, he winked briefly at the confused look on her face.  
  
"Hold on," he whispered before suddenly, without warning, spinning her away from his body.  
  
'Oh. My..' Even Kat's mind couldn't force out the words as she suddenly felt herself propelled out into space. Just when she felt like she would fall on her face, a tug on her arm sent her spinning back into Angel's arms. Trying to catch her breath, Kat only had a brief pause before Angel twirled her again, keeping the tiny werecat from thinking too hard as he kept her dancing in and out of his arms to the beat of the song.  
  
I say come back  
  
Come in from the cold  
  
Into the warm  
  
I feel like fire  
  
Guiding you back home  
  
As darkness falls  
  
Finally, out of mercy she thought, Angel finally brought her back into his arms to stay, ending his little demonstration with a tiny dip of the werecat. For a moment she sputtered, at a loss for words. However, the twinkle in his chocolate brown eyes, and the warm smile on his face, swept over the helpless brunette. An almost giddy sensation overcame Kat, and she burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking as she let all the tension ebb out of her body.  
  
Satisfied at hearing the sultry tones of the tiny woman's laughter, Angel drew her back up slowly, once again guiding her against him in the gentle dance. This time he felt the change in her demeanor, his undead heart almost leaping for joy at the spark of life he saw returning to her eyes. His smile turned somewhat rueful as his hand reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I've missed that laugh kitten," he spoke softly. "It's been rather.empty.being at the mansion all day long."  
  
Inwardly the vampire cursed his impulsive words, as the light he worked so hard to return to Kat's eyes dimmed sadly. Lowering her eyes, Kat didn't look at Angel as she replied, "You left m..us Angel, not the other way around." Barely covering up her near mistake, Kat sighed as she felt the hurt she had almost forgotten returning full force. "Maybe this isn't such a good ide." she began, moving to step out of the vampire's arms. Her heart thundered in her chest, nearly drowning out the words of the song hanging over her head.  
  
And then you find it's over  
  
Still it tears your heart  
  
To slip away  
  
From the crowd  
  
Hand firmly grasping her wrist, Angel tugged the werecat back into his arms, bringing a finger up to her lips to silence any protests. Still dancing with her slowly to the beat of the song, he remained silent for a few minutes, the expression on his face grave as he struggled to speak. Unable to break away, Kat swayed in his arms helplessly, waiting for the vampire to say something.anything.that could erase the hurt of the past few days.  
  
"I'm sorry, kitten, for abandoning all of you," Angel finally whispered, his voice soft but strong as it carried to Kat's delicate ears. "I just.I guess I felt you wouldn't want me around.after." He hesitated, unable to speak directly of the incident that had led them to this.  
  
For her part, Kat didn't speak of the horrible night either, her head bowing as she struggled with the painful emotions she was feeling. Dimly aware they were still dancing, she raised her head finally, her eyes betraying some of her hurt as she looked up at the dark-haired vampire in front of her. "Why did you come back?" Her voice, soft as Angel's, was laden with guarded suspicion.  
  
Lips quirking self-mockingly, Angel chuckled sadly. "Someone came by, beat some sense into me, made me realize just how stupid I was being." Seeing the questioning look on Kat's face, he continued. "Xander stopped by and gave me a little wake up call. It wasn't quite as.demonstrative.as yours was," that remark earning him a small ghost of a smile, "but it was nevertheless effective."  
  
So everyone stands in line  
  
Cos they wanna stay alive  
  
To wait alone  
  
No dog no bone  
  
Moving his hands to take her delicate ones, Angel brushed his thumbs over the satiny backs, taking a deep, unneeded breath. His eyes on her hands instead of her face, Angel whispered just loud enough for her ears alone. "I wanted to apologize. For that night. The things I said.I had no right to say them, or to judge you like that." Cautiously his eyes strayed up to her face, gauging her reaction to his words.  
  
Aware that they had sometime, in the middle of their talk, stopped dancing, Kat pondered Angel's apology silently. Her heart twisted painfully as it remembered all the hurtful things he had thrown at her that night, the accusations and taunts that had haunted her for the past few days. Fighting to keep her voice even, the tiny werecat responded huskily, "I'm not the Slayer Angel."  
  
Angel nodded his understanding. "No, you're not, and I realize that. I can't defend my choice of words, except to say that I was afraid. I don't have many friends, and the last thing I want to do is see them die before my eyes." Even as he tried to say these words calmly, the vampire's undead heart nearly jumped with the mere thought that his kitten, the fiery hellcat, might run out of luck one day and end up at the wrong end of the stake.  
  
But if you have  
  
What it takes  
  
To return to where  
  
All the world  
  
Knows your name  
  
Kat understood what drove the vampire to say this; every time the Scoobies went out on patrol Kat was afraid that one of her new friends would not make it back that night. It was why she fought, and she suspected why Angel fought as well.to protect their friends at all costs. "I know," she answered softly, "But Angel, I have to keep fighting. I can't just sit on the sidelines, not when I know the dangers out there."  
  
"I know," the vampire echoed Kat's words, sighing softly. How well he knew her fighting spirit. His lips curved into another smile, soft though teasing. "I guess I'll just have to make sure I'm always around, to make sure you don't get into too much trouble."  
  
Smiling in spite of herself, Kat shook her head softly, cocking her head to the side. "Angel, Angel.are you trying to become my personal knight or something?"  
  
"Or something," Angel replied before the silence stretched out between them once more. He continued to rub her hands with his thumbs, more for the feel of her silky, soothing skin than from any conscious effort. Glancing down at her hands, he took an unneeded breath, asking the question of which he most feared her response. "Forgive me?" His eyes rose as the words left his lips, fixing on the tiny brunette before him as he waited for her to answer.  
  
"Angel, I don't think.," Kat began, only to be interrupted as Angel repeated his solemn request. Squirming under the intensity of the vampire's beautiful gaze, Kat pondered his words seriously. He really means it, she thought. Forgiveness is everything to him. But, I guess I can't be surprised, given his background and all. Stretching to her toes, Kat reached up with one hand, brushing the strand away. Trailing down his face, her hand touched his nose in a small tap, her lips curving into a smile as she answered, "Forgiven."  
  
Angel closed his eyes briefly, relief washing over him in a wave as her forgiveness rang in his ears. Leaning his head down to touch hers, he opened his eyes to stare into her liquid blue orbs. "Thank you," he whispered, his breath warm and ticklish against her lush lips. They stood still for a moment, neither moving an inch, sharing a moment of warmth and contentment.  
  
So que sera  
  
Let's go sailing on  
  
There's a wise man  
  
In every fool  
  
I say come back  
  
Come in from the cold  
  
Into the warm  
  
I feel like fire  
  
Guiding you back home  
  
As darkness falls  
  
Slowly the knowledge of their proximity stole over both Kat and Angel, igniting the air with confused tension. Angel's smile slipped a notch, his eyes clouding over with a serious emotion Kat couldn't place. Her heart began to pound as his head began to tilt slightly, his lips dangerously close to her own.  
  
Oh God oh God oh God, Kat's mind babbled in Willow-like behavior, her eyes widening as she realized what he was about to do. Her pulse began to race, the blood roaring in her ears drowning out all other sounds in the Bronze. Fear and uncertainty welling up inside of her, she backed up suddenly, pulling her hands away from Angel before he could tighten his grip on them. "I'm so..I'm sorry," she stammered, her knees wobbling and making it difficult for the werecat to make an elegant exit as she continued to back away from the confused vampire. "I've got to go. Thanks for the dance." Whirling around, Kat rushed off into the throng of people, eager to put as much distance between herself and the vampire who confused all of her senses.  
  
"Kat!" Angel called out, but it was too late as he watched, bewildered, as the kitten made a hasty retreat. His arm, which had been raised to call her back, fell listlessly to his side as he watched her dainty backside run away from him. Stuffing both hands into his pockets, he contemplated what he had been about to do before she had spooked. He wasn't sure what has possessed him to try and kiss her.all he had been able to think about was how soft and velvety her lips looked, and he had wondered how they might taste.  
  
Raising his head, Angel once again looked in the direction Kat had run, but the kitten had already left the Bronze. His undead heart heavy with emotion, the vampire turned on his heel, exiting in the opposite direction. So lost in his own thoughts and feelings was the dark-haired undead man that he didn't hear the last strain of the song as he melded into the darkness surrounding him.  
  
I say come home  
  
Leave it all behind  
  
And settle down  
  
I feel my love  
  
Can give me what I want  
  
For all time  
  
For all time  
  
I feel like fire. 


End file.
